Senior Naxalite Papa Rao to surrender; Chhattisgarh will be free of Naxalism by March 31: Dy CM

Kawardha, Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said the last remaining senior Maoist commander, Papa Rao, is set to surrender along with his team members on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in the state's fight against Left Wing Extremism.

Once Rao lays down arms, it can be stated "technically and clearly" that no Naxal operative of that rank or even lower remains active within the state, Sharma told reporters in the morning in Kawardha, the headquarters of Kabirdham district.

The senior Maoist had been the mastermind of various deadly attacks on security forces in south Bastar in the past two decades. He had also masterminded the Tadmetla attack (in the then Dantewada district, now in Sukma) in 2010, wherein 76 troopers were killed.

Rao, who is active in the Dandakaranaya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of Maoists, will surrender along with more than a dozen team members in the Bastar region, said Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio.

Once it is done, no Naxal operative of that senior rank will remain active in Chhattisgarh, and the state is set to be free of armed Naxalism by the stipulated deadline of March 31, 2026, he said.

"With this (Rao's) rehabilitation, Naxal presence within Chhattisgarh's territory will effectively come to an end. Chhattisgarh will be free from armed Naxalism by March 31," Sharma stated.

He said Papa Rao had been active for nearly 25 years and involved in multiple encounters, but managed to escape each time. The state government had announced a reward of Rs 25 lakh for him.

"His (Rao) mindset has now changed. I have personally spoken to him, and it is clear that he is willing to surrender," Sharma said.

More surrenders are expected in the coming week as part of the ongoing rehabilitation efforts, he added.

The DKSZC, which handles Maoist activities in the Bastar division and parts of adjoining states, was considered the strongest formation of the outlawed outfit and had been instrumental in executing several deadly attacks on security forces in the past two decades.

Sharma said members at the party and area committee levels of Maoists are no longer engaged in armed activities in Chhattisgarh and have largely settled down.

"They have laid down their arms and given up uniforms," he pointed out.

Only a few remaining names linked to Chhattisgarh are currently active in Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) or Telangana. Efforts are also underway there to facilitate their surrender, the minister noted.