The stage is set for the surrender of top Maoist leader Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi. Police sources in both Telangana and Chhattisgarh confirmed to News18 that the former CPI-Maoist chief has left Chhattisgarh for Telengana and is expected to surrender soon.
“Intelligence inputs suggest that on the 28th or 29th of August, Ganpathi left the jungles of Abudjmad. He left from the Dantewada-Narayanpur border via Gadchiroli for Telangana where he will reportedly surrender,” a senior police officer told News18.
Seventy-four-year-old Ganpathi was replaced by Basav Raju as the CPI-Maoist chief last year. Local inputs suggest he was unhappy with the change in the hierarchy and was also concerned about his health.
Ganapathi played a crucial role in the formation of CPI-Maoist with the merger of CPI-ML-PWG and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in 2004. Post the merger, and the unsuccessful direct peace talks with the government of then undivided Andhra Pradesh, the outfit witnessed a series of blows, after thorough anti-Maoist operations by the state police.
“COVID situation is bad even in Bastar. The test can not happen without Aadhar card so unlike Malaria, this swab test or treatment can’t happen in the jungles. Plus, senior leaders meet a lot of people in urban areas so the risk of catching the infection is more,” a Chhatisgarh police officer said, commenting on the likely reasons that could have triggered the surrender decision.
Notably, after quitting the top post in the organisation, Ganapathy continued on as a member of the Central Committee.
Telangana police sources say Ganapathi approached the Telangana Police through some TRS leaders close to chief minister Chandrasekhar Rao. Ganapathi, who hails from Telangana’s Jagtial district, may surrender before the police with a few other leaders of the banned outfit by the end of the week.
He was considered close to PWG founder, late Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, who was arrested in 1993.
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