The killing of Basavaraju, also known as Nambala Keshava Rao, marks one of the most consequential blows to left-wing extremism in India in recent years. At 70, Raju was the Supreme Commander of the CPI (Maoist) and a central figure in the Naxalite insurgency. His death — along with that of 25 others — came during a major 50-hour-long security operation led by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district. This high-stakes encounter occurred shortly after the conclusion of the country’s largest-ever anti-Naxal campaign.
While that earlier mission failed to take out top Maoist leaders, the DRG operation succeeded — striking at the heart of the Maoist command structure. The elimination of Basavaraju is being seen as both an operational triumph and a symbolic victory for Indian security forces.
Basavaraju wasn’t just a senior leader — he was the CPI (Maoist)’s highest-ranking commander and chief strategist. After Maoist founder Ganapathi stepped down in 2018, he took control of the movement, leading some of its most violent and complex operations. His leadership shaped the direction of the insurgency in the past decade.
Originally from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, Basavaraju was drawn into radical leftist ideology during his college years in Warangal, where he became involved with the Radical Students Union (RSU). Over the years, he climbed the ranks to become the Maoist group’s General Secretary and a core architect of its military strategy. He was on the most-wanted lists of both the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and state police forces in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Basavaraju is believed to be the brain behind several of the deadliest Maoist attacks in India. Notably, he played a major role in the 2003 Alipiri bomb attack targeting then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. In 2010, he masterminded the Dantewada ambush in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed — the deadliest blow to Indian forces in the history of the insurgency.
With an MTech degree and engineering background, he was known for merging technical knowledge with guerrilla warfare tactics. Security officials say he was instrumental in training Maoist cadres in IED deployment and jungle warfare, making him a key operational asset. His combination of intellectual and tactical skills made him irreplaceable — and his death leaves a significant void in the CPI (Maoist) leadership.
What Does Basavaraju’s Death Mean for the Naxal Movement
Basavaraju’s death is both a tactical and psychological setback for the Maoist movement. With a Rs 1 crore bounty on his head, he was not only the most wanted Maoist leader but also the ideological and strategic linchpin of the insurgency. His removal is likely to sow confusion among Maoist ranks, destabilize command structures, and deter new recruits.
Security officials believe the operation sends a strong message: Indian forces now possess the intelligence, coordination, and capability to eliminate even the top tier of Maoist leadership. This is expected to weaken morale and disrupt future insurgent operations.
With Basavaraju gone, attention now turns to the remaining Maoist leadership. Among them is Muppala Laxmana Rao — better known by aliases such as Ganapathi, Ramanna, Srinivas, and Shekhar. Now in his mid-70s, Ganapathi is considered one of the movement’s founding ideologues and still holds an advisory role in the CPI (Maoist). He hails from Birpur village in Telangana’s Karimnagar district and continues to elude capture.
While the Maoist movement may not collapse overnight, the loss of Raju marks a watershed moment. It raises serious questions about the group’s future direction and capacity to regroup. For India’s security forces, it is a signal achievement — but also a reminder that the long fight against insurgency is far from over.
