A day after the Andhra Pradesh government reimposed the ban on the Communist Party of India(Maoist) and its 7 frontal organizations, 2 revolutionary parties announced their merger to fight against state repression.

The Communist Party of India(Marxist-Leninist) Janashakti (Ramachandran faction) and CPI-ML Pratighatana have merged to form the new organization -- CPI(ML). This outfit would be headed by K Ramachandran.

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In a joint statement on Thursday, the state secretaries of the two parties said the merger had been discussed and approved by their delegates. They reached the conclusion that the existence of the revolutionary parties separately was a futile exercise in strengthening Community revolutionary movement.

"In view of the increasing state repression and the problems being faced by the movement, it has been decided to merge both the organizations to overcome differences and split in revolutionary movement," the statement pointed out.

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Both the groups have some influence in north Telangana districts of Andhra Pradesh but their strength is negligible. The state boasts of no less than 20 naxalite splinter groups and factions.  Incidentally, CPI-ML (Janashakti) was formed in 1992 when 7 revolutionary groups merged but it subsequently split into several factions over the last 13 years.

The dominant CPI-ML Janashakti group (K Rajanna faction), which also participated in the failed peace talks with the Andhra Pradesh government in October last year, is the second most violent group after the CPI-Maoist. With 200 armed cadres, equipped with AK-47 rifles, self-loading rifles, carbines and other modern weapons, Rajanna faction has been in merger talks with CPI-Maoist.

The killing of Janashakti (Rajanna faction) central committee member Riyaz, who was one of the representatives who participated in the peace talks, in an alleged encounter on July 1 this year invited the ire of the Maoists. Since January 1 this year, 22 Janashakti naxalites were killed in encounters with the police. Janashakti dalams (armed cadres) eliminated 22 persons who were dubbed as police informers.  

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