Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, frontrunner to lead CPI (Maoist), may also give up arms
NAGPUR: CPI (Maoist) central committee (CC) member Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu (69), who was considered among the frontrunners for the banned party's top post after the gunning down of its general secretary Basavaraju, is likely to surrender before Gadchiroli police, top sources in anti-Naxal apparatus in Maharashtra said.
The Maoist veteran, a Telugu Brahmin with a BCom degree who had appealed to govt for a ceasefire, has lost his agility and leads a motley group which is no match for the elite C60 commandos of Maharashtra or Grey Hounds of Telangana. He is the elder brother of Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, who was eliminated in an encounter near Kolkata in 2011.
Sonu is likely to lay down arms and join his wife Tarakka, who surrendered before Maharashtra police late last year and is currently staying at Gadchiroli police's rehabilitation camp.
On Thursday, CM Devendra Fadnavis hinted at large-scale surrender of rebels in Gadchiroli, which sources claim is a pointer to the possible laying down of arms by an entire 'platoon' commandeered by Sonu.
"Sonu is likely to be holed up in a forested hillock at Abujmarh. He saw the end coming a month ago and called for a truce," said an official source, adding that all cadres should immediately approach govt or security apparatus and surrender to avoid fatalities.
"Forces are prodding deeper and moving fast. The tables have turned, the guerrillas are under siege, they can no longer ambush with mines or grenades," said a senior police officer.
Though there's speculation about Sonu or his younger comrade Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji (60) heading CPI (Maoist), intelligence agencies feel the veteran Maoist doesn't have age on his side, and is inclined for truce. Apart from the tottering leadership, security agencies pointed out that the tribal cadres in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra are rudderless.
"There's strong resentment among lower-rung tribal cadres against Telugu domination of CC and the way they force tribals to do menial jobs or push them into the frontlines," said an official, adding arrogance and rigidity of Telugu leadership in CC has led to their decimation.
Sources said there's a possibility of an exodus now, with tribal cadres ready to abandon the Maoist cause and return to the mainstream, rather than get neutralised. " Telugu hierarchy in CPI(Maoist) will not allow tribal cadres to lead the movement, even though they don't marshal the force or lead from the front," said a senior official who had interrogated a surrendered guerrilla.
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