Sixty-year-old Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji who took over as the new general secretary of the party, in place of Nambala Kesava Rao alias Basvaraj, who was killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Narayanpur forests of Chhattisgarh on May 21, is the third successive Telugu leader who rose to the top position, officials familiar with the development said.
HT was the first to break the report on Monday, quoting intelligence sources, that Devji, a key central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) was appointed as the new secretary of the outfit. Another central committee member Mandvi Hidma was made secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), one of the most powerful decision-making bodies of the outlawed party.
According to intelligence officers tracking Maoist activity in Bastar, a recent meeting of the Indravati area committee was attended by senior leaders, during which the decision regarding Devji’s elevation was discussed.
However, an IPS officer commenting over the matter claimed it is not confirmed that any meeting took place in the Indravati area committee. “There are some reports from intelligence that a meeting took place in which Devji was given charge but no official confirmation has yet surfaced. It is very difficult for the senior leaders to gather at one place for a meeting but it is possible a bunch of leaders have gathered and made a decision,” said the officer.
A senior official of the Telangana police said they, too, got the information that Tirupati alias Devji is the new chief of the Maoist party. “But we are yet to get the confirmation. We are expecting a media statement from the Maoist party spokesman in a day or two,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}A senior official of the Telangana police said they, too, got the information that Tirupati alias Devji is the new chief of the Maoist party. “But we are yet to get the confirmation. We are expecting a media statement from the Maoist party spokesman in a day or two,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Ever since the CPI (Maoist) party was formed on September 21, 2004, following the merger of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) People’s War with the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI), the party was being headed by the Telugu leaders.
While Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi from erstwhile combined Karimnagar district of Telangana, who was till then heading the CPI (ML) People’s War, became the first general secretary of the Maoist party, he was succeeded by Nambala Kesava Rao alias Basvaraj from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh on November 10, 2018.
After Kesava Rao, along with 27 others, was killed in an encounter with the police on May 21 this year, there has been a vacuum in the top position.
There were reports that another top Maoist leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu (69), also from erstwhile combined Karimnagar district, was the frontrunner for the post, but finally, the party appears to have decided to appoint Tirupati alias Devji as the general secretary because he is relatively younger and has military expertise, the police official quoted above said.
“Sustained operations by security forces have weakened the Maoist party as dozens of senior Maoists have either been killed or have surrendered. Now, the organization is trying to consolidate its hold in Bastar and restructure itself under the new leadership,” the official said.
While Ganapathi belonged to the Brahmin community, Kesava Rao belonged to the Kalinga caste, an OBC in Andhra Pradesh. Tirupati alias Devji belongs to Madiga community, a sub-group of Scheduled Castes.
WHO IS DEVJI?
As per the police records, Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji hails from Ambedkar Nagar Colony in Korutla town of Jagitial district, which was part of united Karimnagar district earlier. In fact, the district is known for producing several top Maoist leaders, including Ganapathi who hails from Beerpur village; Nalla Adireddy and Seelam Naresh, the two central committee members who were killed in an encounter at Koyyuru in Karimnagar district in 1999.
He was drawn to the ideology of the Radical Students’ Union while pursuing his degree in 1983. At that time, clashes between ABVP and RSU student groups were common, leading to several police cases. Towards the end of 1983, Tirupati reportedly went underground.
Rising steadily from a cadre member to commander, he eventually became a Central Committee member and the politburo member of the Maoist party. As a strategist in militia strikes, he holds a second-tier leadership position in the party. He was reportedly a part of the central committee meeting in 2009, where the decision was taken to start the Buniyadi Communist Training School, a military training centre for new recruits.
He is a Central Militia Commission member, a strategist in key Maoist attacks. As per the records, Tirupati masterminded the 2010 Dantewada ambush that killed 74 CRPF personnel. The NIA has announced a reward of ₹1 crore on his head.
He is also credited with creating the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army’s (PLGA) first armed platoon and is known to have played a role in the 2007 attack on Geedam police station in Dantewada. Security agencies describe him as a hard-line strategist with deep influence in southern Chhattisgarh, particularly Bastar and Dantewada.
Tirupati is believed to have played a key role not only in Maoist recruitment across Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Odisha but also in running military training camps. Police suspect that, in the wake of Operation Kagar, Tirupati has been shifting his bases.
The NIA got the information that several Maoist leaders have recently taken shelter near the West Bengal border, and speculation is rife that Tirupati was among them.