Bastar: Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma has once again made a strong assertion on the elimination of Naxalism, saying the state is on track to completely eradicate the menace by March 31, 2026. Speaking to the media in Bastar, Sharma said the security forces are moving decisively toward the final phase of the anti-Naxal operations.
Sharma credited the strategy devised by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the recent successes, saying it has significantly strengthened ground-level operations in Chhattisgarh. He added that Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has been given full operational freedom to implement the strategy according to the state’s specific conditions.
Reports of Surrender of Top Maoist Leaders
The Home Minister said information emerging at the national level is “very encouraging.” According to reports, senior Maoist leader Devji, who reportedly became General Secretary after Basavaraju, has surrendered before the Telangana Police. Calling it a major development, Sharma said this signals a decisive blow to the Maoist leadership.
He further stated that another hardcore Maoist leader, Malla Raju Reddy, also known by the alias Sangram, has reportedly surrendered as well. Both leaders were active for decades in the Abujhmad region and Gadchiroli belt and were considered key strategists of the insurgency.
“This is a major victory in the fight against Naxalism,” Sharma said, adding that these developments have significantly weakened the operational and ideological backbone of the movement.
‘We Are Near the End of the Fight’
According to Vijay Sharma, only a very small number of top-level Maoist leaders remain active. “One of them is believed to be very elderly, and a few others no longer have the operational influence that leaders like Devji and Malla Raju Reddy once had,” he said. Sharma added that talks are ongoing with the remaining cadres to encourage surrender.
Karegutta Operation Yields Big Gains
Commenting on the ongoing Karegutta operation, Sharma said security forces have so far recovered 89 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during search operations. He claimed that the fortified Maoist hideouts in the Karegutta area are on the verge of collapse.
“The Maoist stronghold in Karegutta is breaking. We are confident that this operation will also yield major success,” Sharma said.
Expressing full confidence, the Chhattisgarh Home Minister reiterated, “Naxalism will be completely eliminated by March 31, 2026.”