RAIPUR: The ongoing anti-Maoist operation after the monsoon has been intensified with a renewed warning conveyed to the top Maoist leaders, asking them to give up arms and surrender, or else be prepared to be eliminated.
The Chhattisgarh police and the Central forces affirmed that the sustained offensive against the left-wing extremists inflicted massive setback to the banned outfit, owing to which the Maoist leaders evidently remain fully aware that there is no safe place for them anywhere in the affected Bastar region.
Bastar Inspector General of police, Sundarraj P, claimed that they consistently get solid information about the locations of top Maoist leaders, and they can be eliminated anytime by security forces.
“They can either surrender and join the mainstream or get killed in the ongoing decisive operations by the troops”, the IG told TNIE.
Despite adverse weather and tough geographical conditions besides other challenges, the forces are vigorously engaged in strategically planned anti-Maoist campaigns, keeping in mind the March 31, 2026, deadline set by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Most of the Central Committee (CC) members, who are only next to the Politburo of CPI (Maoist) in hierarchy, remained active in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee during the last three decades, during which they waged a war against the state and the forces.
Many of these CC members were cited to be the masterminds of numerous violent incidents, even leading to casualties of several jawans and the killing of innocent civilians.
The CC members carry huge bounty on their heads in various states of the country. In the year 2025, the forces eliminated the general secretary of CPI Maoist Basava Raju alias Nambala Keshav Rao and eight CC members.
The Bastar police also shared the names of the remaining top 10 Maoist leaders who the police believe are active in Bastar and adjoining border states. They include four Polit Bureau members—Ganpathi alias Mupalla Laxman Rao alias Ramanna, Malojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi, Devji alias Devanna alias Sudarshan, and Mishir Besra alias Bhaskar. Additionally, six CC members are Ganesh Uike, Anal Da alias Marandi, Malla Raji Reddy alias Murli, Ramder alias Majjidev, Madvi Hidma alias Deva alias Sainath, and Pullari Prasad Rao alias Malkapuram alias Bhaskar.
The inhospitable rugged terrain of Abujhmad, spread over 4000 sq km in the district of Narayanpur and touching Bijapur, Dantewada, and Kanker was once the common address for most of the top Maoist leaders for decades. The dense forests earlier provided safe havens and hideouts for armed Maoist cadres and their top leadership.
During the last three years, the Maoists' strongholds have been significantly weakened due to the establishment of several security camps and ongoing anti-Maoist operations, besides the development initiatives by the government in the region.
The forces are swiftly acting on intelligence inputs about the movement of Maoist cadres, even in the dense forested terrain. The polit bureau CC members are bestowed with key responsibilities, different organisational roles, besides military activities in the banned outfit.
| S. No | Date | District/State | Top Maoist Cadre Killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19/01/25 | Gariaband (CG) | Jairam alias Chalpathi (CC member) |
| 2 | 21/04/25 | Jharkhand | Vivek Manjhi (CC member) |
| 3 | 21/05/25 | Narayanpur | Basava Raju alias Nambala Keshav Rao (Gen Secretary/Polit Bureau member) |
| 4 | 05/06/25 | Bijapur | Narsimha Chalam alias Sudhakar alias Ramaraju (CC member) |
| 5 | 18/06/25 | Andhra Pradesh | Uday alias Gajrala Ravi (CC member) |
| 6 | 11/09/25 | Gariaband | Manoj alias Modem Balkrishnan (CC member) |
| 7 | 14/09/25 | Jharkhand | Sahdev Soren (CC member) |
| 8 | 22/09/25 | Narayanpur | Raju alias Katta Ramchandra Reddy (CC member) |
| 9 | 22/09/25 | Narayanpur | Kosa alias Kadri Satyanarayan Reddy (CC member) |