With Basavaraju gone, Maoist movement faces unprecedented weakness

In a turning point for India’s long-running Maoist insurgency, the outlawed CPI (Maoist) was left without a leader for the first time in decades following the death of its general secretary, Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraju, as reported by TOI. The 70-year-old was killed in a 50-hour gunfight with security forces in the Abujhmad forests of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. His killing is being seen as one of the most decisive blows to the movement in years.

Basavaraju’s death comes at a crucial time. With central and state forces tightening pressure across Maoist-dominated zones, his absence now leaves the CPI (Maoist) without direction or a unified voice. Internal discussions are already under way to decide who should take over.

Two senior leaders have emerged as frontrunners: 69-year-old Mallojula Venugopal, alias Sonu, a Brahmin from Telangana and seasoned political strategist, and 60-year-old Thippiri Tirupati, alias Devji, from the Madiga scheduled caste community, who serves on the Maoist military commission.

A senior Telangana police officer observed, “There was growing pressure within the organisation to ensure caste diversity in leadership. It now remains to be seen whether the party sticks to that line or opts for a more politically seasoned figure like Venugopal.”

Other names in circulation include Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy, though his influence is limited, and Malla Raji Reddy, considered too old and previously arrested.

‘Operation Kagar’: The final blow
The operation that led to Basavaraju’s death — codenamed Operation Kagar — was launched on May 19 by joint teams of Chhattisgarh’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and CRPF. Acting on weeks of intelligence, the units moved through the dense forests of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada.

The encounter lasted 50 hours. More than 30 Maoists were reportedly killed, with a significant cache of weapons and documents seized. Among the dead, sources confirmed, was Basavaraju — India’s most-wanted Maoist leader, carrying a bounty of ₹2.02 crore.

One DRG personnel lost his life during the fierce exchange.

Who was Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraju?
Basavaraju was born on 10 July 1955 in Jiyannapet, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. An engineering graduate from NIT Warangal, he represented the state in volleyball and was once arrested in a student political scuffle in 1980 — the only time he had ever been taken into custody.

He joined the People’s War soon after and rose through the ranks over 35 years. A trained military strategist, he had received guerrilla training from the LTTE in 1987. Known for his tactical ruthlessness, he played key roles in several deadly ambushes and IED attacks.

Among the most notorious incidents under his command were:

• The 2010 Dantewada massacre, where 76 CRPF personnel were killed.
• The 2013 Jeeram Ghati ambush, which left 27 dead, including senior Congress leaders.
• The 2018 Sukma IED blast that killed nine CRPF jawans.
• The 2019 Gadchiroli landmine attack, which claimed 16 lives.
• The 2021 Sukma-Bijapur ambush that led to 22 fatalities among security forces.
• The 2023 Dantewada IED explosion, killing 10 DRG personnel and a civilian driver.
• The 2025 Bijapur IED attack, which killed eight DRG men and one driver.

His leadership also coincided with major setbacks for the Maoists, including heavy losses in the 2024 Kanker and Abujhmad encounters where dozens of cadres were neutralised.

Shift in strategy and succession debate
Basavaraju succeeded Muppala Laxman Rao, alias Ganapathy, in 2018 after the latter stepped down due to health reasons. Ganapathy had led the movement for 25 years — 12 as chief of the CPI (ML) People’s War and 13 after it merged with the Maoist Communist Centre.

While Ganapathy was viewed as an ideological leader focused on political outreach and expansion, Basavaraju brought a more militarised edge to the insurgency.

Security agencies describe him as a “clean-shaven man who now dyes his hair regularly” and “walks briskly and swings either side while walking.” His base was often traced to Maad (Abujhmaad) and the AOB Zonal Committee area. An AK-47 was his constant companion.

An intelligence note accessed by The Indian Express noted that Ganapathy had been grooming Basavaraju for leadership for years. They even held meetings together, including one at Parasnath Hills in Giridih in 2013.

With Basavaraju gone, analysts say the next general secretary will inherit a fractured movement. The cadre today is torn between those advocating urban activism, those pushing for peace talks, and others still committed to armed struggle.

Former leaders like Ganapathy remain underground but cut off. Others like K Ramchandra Reddy, Misir Besra, and Pothula Kalpana are under intense surveillance. The CPI (Maoist)’s top ranks have been systematically decimated.

“This is a critical moment in the fight against Naxals,” said one senior security official. “We may actually be able to meet the deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to end the insurgency by March next year.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah publicly praised the efforts of the security forces. Shah, in particular, congratulated the Chhattisgarh Police’s DRG unit for their “exceptional courage and determination.”

For the CPI (Maoist), the path ahead is uncertain. A leader is gone. The movement stands wounded. The future — for now — hangs in the balance.

(With inputs from TOI)