Maoist kingpin Sonu's last stand? Frontrunner to lead CPI (Maoist) set to surrender, shaking rebel ranks
Mallojula Venugopal Rao
, better known by his alias Sonu, a senior member of the CPI (Maoist) central committee and once considered a frontrunner to lead the banned outfit, is expected to surrender before
Gadchiroli police
, top officials in Maharashtra's
anti-Naxal operations
have told The Times of India.
The 69-year-old veteran insurgent, who holds a BCom degree and belongs to a Telugu Brahmin family, has reportedly grown weary of the struggle. Sonu had earlier appealed to the government for a ceasefire. According to the ToI report, his deteriorating physical condition and the shrinking influence of his armed group — particularly against elite forces like Maharashtra's C-60 commandos and Telangana's Greyhounds — are key reasons for the impending surrender.
Sonu is the elder brother of slain Maoist leader Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, who was killed in a 2011 encounter near Kolkata.
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Sources cited by ToI suggest that Sonu could soon join his wife Tarakka, who surrendered before
Maharashtra Police
in late 2023 and is currently housed at a Gadchiroli police rehabilitation camp. On Thursday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis
hinted at an impending large-scale surrender in the region — interpreted by officials as a reference to Sonu and his group.
'Sonu is likely holed up in the Abujmarh forested hillocks. He saw the end coming a month ago and called for a truce,' an unnamed official told ToI. Security personnel said cadres should surrender soon, warning that the Maoist stronghold is rapidly collapsing. 'Forces are prodding deeper and moving fast. The guerrillas are under siege,' a senior officer said.
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Although names like Sonu and his comrade Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji (60) have surfaced as possible successors to the late general secretary Basavaraju, intelligence agencies cited by ToI believe neither has the capacity to lead — especially Sonu, given his age and apparent openness to peace.
The report also highlights growing discontent within lower-rung tribal cadres, particularly against the Telugu-speaking leadership of the CPI (Maoist). 'There is deep resentment about how the tribal fighters are treated — being pushed into the frontlines or forced into menial work,' a security official who had interrogated a surrendered cadre told ToI.
With morale low and leadership crumbling, sources told the paper that a wider exodus from the Maoist ranks may be imminent. The official added, 'The Telugu hierarchy will never allow tribal cadres to lead, even if they do the fighting. That rigidity has brought them to the brink.'
With inputs from ToI
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