Maoist leader Devuji surrenders: For party out of leaders, territory, firepower, key moment of unravelling

The surrender of Thippiri Tirupathi, alias Devuji or Devji, marks a decisive moment in the unravelling of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). With Devuji laying down arms, the party’s politburo has effectively been reduced to just one active member — Misir Besra, alias Sagar/Sunirmal — while the central committee is now estimated to have only five active members, down from its original strength of nearly 50. The attrition among cadres has been heavy too. Since 2024, more than 500 Maoists have been killed in security operations. In 2025 alone, around 285 Maoists were killed, while around 22 have been neutralised so far in 2026. Security forces have also demolished over 100 Maoist memorials built in honour of slain leaders and cadres, erasing the physical symbols of Maoist dominance in several former strongholds. Besra, operating primarily in the Jharkhand-Bihar region, is now the only active leader in the CPI (Maoist) politburo. A senior police officer from Chhattisgarh said, “The CPI (Maoist) has virtually no leadership now. Only some militia and leftover cadres in the Bastar region, led by lower-rung military commanders, are active. They will soon either fall to bullets or see the writing on the wall and surrender.” Devuji’s surrender is significant because he had emerged as the face of the faction that argued armed struggle must continue, after the surrender of key strategist Mallojula Venugopal Rao (alias Sonu) in October 2025 triggered an internal split. His exit now deprives that camp of its seniormost figure. “It will simply bring down whatever little morale that was left in the cadres. The endgame is near and inevitable,” the officer said. The Central security establishment has expressed confidence in meeting the March 31 deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for ending Maoist violence in the country. A senior official said, “At best, some small units might remain waging lone battles in the Bastar region. They may remain elusive for some time, but eventually we will get them too. With the leadership gone, a decisive victory has been achieved over the movement.” The Telangana-Andhra Pradesh leadership, which once steered the party, stands almost decimated. Along with Devuji, Malla Raji Reddy, another Telugu central committee member, has also surrendered, sources said. Among the Telugus in the central committee, Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaju, was killed in May 2025. The other Telugu states members who were neutralised by the security forces include Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy (alias Kosa), Paka Hanumanthu (alias Uke Ganesh), Gajarla Ravi (alias Uday), Katta Ramachandra Reddy (alias Raju dada), Tentu Laxmi Narsimha Chalam (alias Anand), Modem Balakrishna (alias Balanna) and Anal Da (alias Tufan da). “It’s the end of an era. (Since) the beginning of 2024, the central committee and politburo of the Maoist party were led by Telugus. Now that era is gone,” a source in Telangana police said. Two Telangana leaders, however, are still active. “Muppala Laxmana Rao (alias Ganapathi), who used to be the general secretary of the party before Nambala Keshava Rao, is still underground. He is silent… it is not known whether he is alive or dead,” a source said. Apart from this, Pusunuri Narahari (alias Vishwanath/Santhosh), a central committee member from Warangal, is also on the run. “When there was an offensive against the party, the Telugu leadership gave up. The overground workers of the party, who are associated with frontal organisations, are now blaming them,” an intelligence officer said. Jharkhand and Odisha leaders are now the ones leading the fragile outfit. Besra is operating from Jharkhand. Sources say the Maoist movement’s ideological appeal has eroded as the social conditions that once sustained recruitment have changed unevenly, but decisively. While deprivation persists, the state’s presence in remote areas — through roads, ration delivery, education and healthcare — has expanded. Will the insurgency disappear overnight? That’s unlikely. Small, hardened units may continue to operate in pockets, inciting sporadic violence and carrying out occasional ambushes. However, the strategic picture is clear – the CPI (Maoist) is fast losing its leadership depth, cadre strength, territorial control and firepower. Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More