Naxalism nears collapse as only 4 Politburo, 18 Central Committee members left

India Today

a day ago

India's decades-long battle against Left-Wing Extremism is entering its final stage, with security agencies confirming a near-complete dismantling of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)'s leadership. According to Bastar IG Sundarraj Pattilingam, only four Politburo members and 18 Central Committee members remain active, most of whom are either in hiding or too old to operate effectively."The Maoist movement is in its final days. Their leadership is disjointed and demoralised. Only 300 armed cadres remain in the Dandakaranya zone who must surrender or prepare for a decisive war," Sundarraj said.advertisementThe Central Committee, typically the highest decision-making body, has not convened in years due to security pressures. In its absence, the Politburo assumes charge. According to former DGP and naxal expert RK Vij, these bodies once drove strategy through a three-pronged model: the Party, the Army, and the United Front. But that structure is now on the verge of collapse.
The four remaining Politburo members include Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi, Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji, Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu, and Misir Besra alias Sunirmal. Eighteen others continue as Central Committee members, including high-profile figures like Madari Hidma, the field commander behind multiple deadly ambushes.The deaths of leaders such as Basavaraju, Bhaskar, and Sudhakar have further dismantled the group's core. 'The ideological vacuum is glaring. Maoist leadership has shifted from revolutionary rhetoric to criminality,' Vij said, noting that only around 20 members remain in the Dandakaranya region.advertisementThe decline is not just ideological but territorial. Areas like Abujhmaad - once Maoist strongholds - are now seeing roads, mobile towers, and security camps. Villages like Kohkameta and Puvarti are no longer isolated.Recent data indicate a massive crackdown between 2023 and May 2025. Over 2,25,000 Maoists were arrested, 4,41,000 surrendered, and nearly 1,19,000 were neutralized. More than 6,699 security personnel were killed, and 1,12,000 injured in over 4,499 encounters. Forces seized 2,200 AK-47 rifles, over 2,21,000 country-made weapons, and dismantled nearly 5,53,000 explosives and 184 major caches.Parallel development efforts have also transformed the region. More than 115,000 Maoist camps have been destroyed, 6,66,677 km of roads built, and 1,16,677 villages connected to the mainstream."The fight isn't over until the ideology is rejected in every corner. But this is the closest we've come to ending the insurgency," said Sundarraj.Must Watch