The number of Central Committee(CC) members of the Communist Party of India(Maoist) has fallen to just 10, according to data with the Chhattisgarh police and security forces posted in the state. Officials engaged in the anti-Maoist operation said that the Central Committee, the highest decision making body of the proscribed unit had, until three years ago, at least 45 members in its ranks.
Even as security forces across different states are working to end Maoism, Naxalism, or Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by March 31, 2026 , a deadline set by the Union government, the officials said that the party has suffered the most damage this year with its top ranking leaders arrested, killed in gunfights, or surrendering. In earlier years, some also died of old age and other natural causes. This, the officials added, has also led to discord in the party.
Police records show that at least nine CC members were killed in encounters across Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, while one member Sujata aka Kalpana (wife of slain Maoist leader Kishenji) surrendered before the Telangana state government on September 13. The remaining 10 CC members are those wanted not just by Chhattisgarh but by police forces in Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, and each carries a reward of over ₹1 crore on their heads.
The most wanted in the list, according to records of security forces, is the party’s former general secretary, Ganpathy aka Mupalla Lakshman Rao aka Ramanna. Basavaraju alias Nambala Keshava Rao, who took over from Ganpathy, was killed in a gunfight earlier this year, on May 21, 2025. After Ganpathy, the number 2 on the list of the most wanted is Venugopal Rao aka Sonu alias Abhay. Abhay, who is also the party’s spokesperson and regularly sends press statements, has sought a ceasefire on at least two occasions in the last six months . The party’s new general secretary(after Basavaraju’s death), Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji alias Sudharshan, believed to be in his mid 50s, is third on the list. Security forces believe that most CC members including Ganpathy have become old and are no longer active. The last person on the list is a Chhattisgarh local , Madhvi Hidma, also the youngest among all CC members. Hidma is believed to be the commander of the forces, who not only plans major attacks on security forces but also leads the assault himself.
{{/usCountry}}The most wanted in the list, according to records of security forces, is the party’s former general secretary, Ganpathy aka Mupalla Lakshman Rao aka Ramanna. Basavaraju alias Nambala Keshava Rao, who took over from Ganpathy, was killed in a gunfight earlier this year, on May 21, 2025. After Ganpathy, the number 2 on the list of the most wanted is Venugopal Rao aka Sonu alias Abhay. Abhay, who is also the party’s spokesperson and regularly sends press statements, has sought a ceasefire on at least two occasions in the last six months . The party’s new general secretary(after Basavaraju’s death), Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji alias Sudharshan, believed to be in his mid 50s, is third on the list. Security forces believe that most CC members including Ganpathy have become old and are no longer active. The last person on the list is a Chhattisgarh local , Madhvi Hidma, also the youngest among all CC members. Hidma is believed to be the commander of the forces, who not only plans major attacks on security forces but also leads the assault himself.
{{/usCountry}}Security forces and Chhattisgarh government officials have maintained that for any ceasefire to be effected, all cadres must surrender along with their stock of weapons and reveal the locations of every improvised explosive device(IED) planted across the state. “There is a discord among the CPI(Maoist) after Basavaraju’s death. This is also apparent from the fact that while Sujata surrendered last week, the other central committee leaders such as Katta Ramachandra Reddy(63) aka Raju and Kadari Satyanarayan Reddy(68) aka Kosa (the two men killed in a gunfight with security forces on Monday) are still putting up a fight. The two had an AK 47 and an INSAS rifle and fired at the security forces when asked to surrender,” said one officer.
Sujata, a CC member, also wife of former Maoist leader Kishenji who surrendered, was wanted for almost 43 years. The two CC members killed Monday, carried a reward of ₹1.80 crore each on their heads.
The officer also added that the recent incidents of Maoists targeting civilians is the result of the vacuum in the party’s leadership. “Some CC members, especially the elderly ones, want to stop the violence but it appears there is a section that wants to put up a fight. The younger ones are targeting civilians and are refusing to listen to the party leaders. These recent incidents show how the leaders are losing grip.”
Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the security forces are systematically dismantling the top leadership of the naxals and breaking the backbone of the red party.
P Sundarraj, inspector general of the Chhattisgarh police’s Bastar Range, who is leading the operations, said : “ It is high time that they realise that the Maoist movement is nearing its end. Until a few years ago, their strength was in their numbers. They had over 45 members in the Central Committee. The civilian population is also deserting them and they don’t have the support of locals. There is no alternative but to shun violence, return to mainstream, and avail the benefits of the surrender and rehabilitation policy”.
P Sundarraj also said that the discord in the Maoist leadership is evident from the fact that its leaders are taking a different stance. “Recently, one CC member Sonu alias Abhay(number 2 on the list) had issued a statement calling for a ceasefire. Yesterday, this was disputed by Sonu alias Thippari Tirupati(number 3 on the list and currently the party’s general secretary). Sonu issued statements saying the ceasefire call was Abhay’s personal opinion and that they would continue to fight. He also said that Abhay has been removed from the post of party spokesperson. There is discord in their party with one group insisting on surrender and the other against it. We urge them to lay down their arms and join the mainstream. Until last year, there were around 20 Central Committee members.”