Maoist — The fall of an ideologue and the shrinking Maoist periphery

The surrender of Mallojula Venugopal, also known by his aliases Abhay, Bhupati, Master, and Sonu (aged 69), who served as a Politburo, Central Committee (CC), and Central Military Commission (CMC) member and the official spokesperson of the Communist Party of India–Maoist (CPI–Maoist), on October 15, 2025, in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, marks a decisive ideological and operational rupture within the CPI–Maoist hierarchy.

His surrender, accompanied by 60 other cadres, including zonal and divisional committee members, represents a major psychological and structural blow to the insurgency. Once the party’s principal ideologue, Venugopal was among the last four surviving Politburo members and had significant influence over both armed cadres in the Dandakaranya region and sympathisers in urban networks.

This development comes just months after the death of Namballa Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraju (aged 70) — the General Secretary of the CPI–Maoist and its top executive head — in May 2025, following a string of high-level eliminations including CC members Katta Ramachandra Reddy and Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy, indicating a sustained decapitation strategy by the Security Forces (SFs).

An Ideologue’s Turning Point

Venugopal’s surrender was not merely a tactical move; it represented a profound strategic and ideological shift. Once a staunch advocate of armed struggle, his transformation began after an internal schism within the CPI–Maoist.

His now-public letters advocating an end to armed conflict were denounced by the party’s Central Committee, which branded him a “traitor.” These letters, along with the surrender of his wife, Vimala Sidam (aka Tara) in January 2025, signalled a complete erosion of faith in the revolutionary cause.

The Maharashtra Police facilitated his surrender through the Intelligence Cell and C-60 commandos, under a well-regarded surrender and rehabilitation policy. Crucial to his decision was an emotional letter from a former comrade, Anil, who described the futility of continued violence and the potential for reintegration and dignity within India’s constitutional framework.

The Domino Effect: Mass Surrenders Follow

Just a day after Venugopal’s surrender, 50 Maoist cadres from Abujhmad (Chhattisgarh) surrendered before the Border Security Force (BSF) in Kanker District. The group included senior Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee members Rajman Mandavi and Raju Salam, along with five divisional committee members (DVCMs), 21 area committee members (ACMs), and 22 regular party members.

A significant number of the surrendering cadres were women — 32 of 50 — and 39 weapons were recovered, including AK-47s, INSAS rifles, a Light Machine Gun (LMG), and a Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL).

The significance of this event goes far beyond the numbers. Abujhmad (Maad), once the CPI–Maoist’s proclaimed liberated zone, has witnessed over 100 Maoists neutralised since the launch of the Maad Bachao Abhiyan in 2024, signalling the rollback of militant dominance in what was once considered an impenetrable terrain.

Operationally, Venugopal’s surrender is expected to yield critical intelligence, particularly on urban sleeper cells and financial networks. Given his ideological stature and insider knowledge, he could help dismantle the CPI–Maoist’s propaganda ecosystem. Intelligence inputs already suggest that at least another 100 cadres are likely to surrender in the Maad–North Bastar belt in the coming months.

The Crumbling Leadership

Strategically, this marks an accelerated erosion of the Maoist command structure. The remnants of the leadership — current General Secretary Thippari Tirupathi (aka Devuji, Deoji, or Sanjeev, aged 60) and Madvi Hidma (aka Santosh), the youngest Central Committee member and commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army’s (PLGA) 1st Battalion — lack Venugopal’s ideological weight.

The movement now risks devolving into a disoriented, survivalist militant network — fragmented, directionless, and increasingly devoid of popular support.

According to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) is now confined to just 11 districts, with only three — Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur — classified as “most affected.” This is a dramatic fall from 126 affected districts in 2013.

In 2025 alone, according to SATP data, 333 Maoists have been killed, 398 arrested, and 1,351 have surrendered.

The Beginning of the End

The cumulative impact of decimated leadership, deep security penetration, and ideological fatigue is clear. With Home Minister Amit Shah’s deadline of March 31, 2026, to “end Naxalism,” the movement appears headed for terminal decline, though some residual violence and localised insurgent activity may persist.

Venugopal’s surrender is both symbolic and substantive — the fall of a lifelong revolutionary who once shaped India’s radical discourse but has now chosen to walk the constitutional path.

It may well mark the beginning of the end for the Communist Party of India (Maoist) as an ideologically coherent and strategically potent insurgent organisation.