Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju, who served as the general secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist) and stood as the highest-ranking leader of the Naxalite insurgency, was killed along with 26 other Naxals in a major counter-insurgency operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh.
This event marks the most significant blow to the Naxal leadership in more than three decades. Union Home Minister Amit Shah made the announcement through an X post, labeling it as a "landmark achievement" and appreciating the security forces involved.
"Landmark achievement in the struggle to eradicate Naxalism.". Today, in a surgical operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have killed 27 feared Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the CPI-Maoist general secretary, highest leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement," Amit Shah wrote. He also added, "For the first time in three decades of Bharat's fight against Naxalism, a general secretary-level leader has been neutralised by our forces.". I commend our courageous security forces and agencies for achieving this big win."
Referring to the wider implications of Operation Black Forest, Shah further stated, "Happy to inform that on successful completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been detained and 84 Naxalites surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra." He once again underlined the Modi government's resolve to eradication of Naxalism in a complete manner by March 31, 2026.
Basavaraju, a native of Andhra Pradesh, took over leadership of the CPI (Maoist) in 2018 after the demise of his predecessor Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathi. Understood for his strategic thinking and profound ideological devotion, Basavaraju orchestrated a number of lethal ambushes against security personnel. He was the nation's most wanted Naxalite with Rs One crore on his head.
The operation that led to his death was the culmination of months of careful intelligence efforts and synergized action of CRPF's top anti-Naxal units and Chhattisgarh Police. Officials said that the encounter spot was rich in yield that comprised items such as weapons, communication devices, and vital documents. From being present in more than 200 districts of the Red Corridor, the CPI (Maoist) insurgency has shown considerable decline over the last decade. Official reports reveal that Maoist-linked violence is now limited to fewer than a dozen districts due to persistent security operations and development programs dampening their impact. With Basavaraju's killing, officials are confident the command structure of the Maoists has been dealt a severe blow, possibly paving the way towards the ultimate defeat of the insurgency.
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