Anti-Naxal ops eliminate top leaders, only 12 remain active in C'garh, Telagana & J'khand 

With security forces and the police across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Telangana eliminating some key Naxal and CPI (Maoist) leaders in the past two years, now only 12 top Maoists remain at large, including the most-wanted Madavi Hidma of Chhattisgarh.

Hidma has managed to evade security forces despite some close shaves in the last few months, and even survived the Operation Black Forest, in which quite a few Naxals were eliminated in May.

Setbacks to Maoists

Sept 12: Modem Balakrishna shot dead in gun battle with security forces in Chhattisgarh

Sept 13: Pothula Padmavathi, underground for 43 years, surrenders before Telangana DGP

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Sept 15: Sahadev Soren, who carried Rs 1 crore bounty, killed by security forces in Jharkhand

May 21: Nambala Keshav Rao, aka Basavaraju, shot in gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh

The already depleted CPI (Maoist) Central Committee (CCM) received fresh setbacks last week, when on September 12, a top Naxal leader, Modem Balakrishna, was shot dead in a gun battle with security forces in Chhattisgarh. Pothula Padmavathi (known as Kalpana), Mynakka, Mainabai and Sujatha, a senior-most underground leader of the banned CPI (Maoist), surrendered before the Telangana DGP on September 13. She had been underground for 43 years.

Maoist Sahadev Soren was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces at Karando in Jharkhand on September 15. One of the top CCM members, Soren was killed along with two of his comrades. He carried a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head.

The two other slain Maoists were identified as Raghunath Hembram and Birsen Ganjhu. They both carried a bounty of Rs 25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively.

Another key Naxal leader, Nambala Keshav Rao, aka Basavaraju, was shot dead in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Gariyaband on May 21 this year. 

With the elimination of top Naxals, only 12 top CCM leaders now remain absconding. These are Muppala Laxman Rao, Mallojulla Venugopal, Thippiri Thirupathi (reportedly the new CPI (Maoist) general secretary), Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy, Pulluri Prasad Rao, Paka Hanumanthulu, Katta Ramachandra Reddy, Pusunuri Narahari (all from Telangana), Misir Besra, Anal Da (both from Jharkhand) and Madavi Hidma as well as Majjidev (both from Chhattisgarh).

Muppala Lakshmana Rao was said to be keeping unwell, police sources said. Senior Maoist commander Madavi Hidma has reportedly been appointed as secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist), which is considered one of the most powerful decision-making bodies of the outlawed party.

Police officials claimed with the top leaders gone, a bitter power struggle among surviving Maoists for holding positions within the central committee of the CPI(Maoist) couldn't be ruled out. There was resentment among the cadres over Telangana Maoists getting top posts within the ranks, they further claimed.

As eight of the 12 surviving CCM members belong to Telangana, several cadres from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand reportedly don't want to be led by Telugu-speaking leadership. This, sources said, could lead to internal power tussles among the Naxals.

The regular elimination of the top leadership of the CPI (Maoist) comes amid Centre's resolve to eliminate Naxal violence from the country by March 31, 2026, even though The Tribune had earlier reported on August 4 that security forces and police are facing logistical challenges in penetrating certain Naxal dominated pockets in the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border areas.

These concerns were raised during a high level security strategies meeting held in July this year.