The CPI (Maoist), facing an existential crisis in the wake of security forces stepping up their offensive, has picked a Dalit leader from Telangana, Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji, to take over as the new general secretary of the party, making him the third successive leader from a Telugu state to lead the organisation.
Devji’s elevation follows the death of Nambala Kesava Rao alias Basvaraj in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur forests on May 21. It was the first time that such a high-ranking Naxalite leader was neutralised by the police. He hailed from Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh.
Devji (60), who leads the party’s armed wing called Central Military Commission (CMC), and Venugopal Rao, who is currently the ideological head, were believed to be the frontrunners to succeed Keshav Rao. The outlawed outfit finally picked Devji for the top post, signalling its focus on guerrilla operations to regain the ground.
Since the 2004 merger between the CPI (Marxist-Leninist- People's War) and the Maoist Communist Centre to form CPI (Maoist), the undivided Andhra Pradesh has consistently provided leadership to India's Naxal movement.
Most of the Maoist top leadership hail from Telangana which was once considered the bastion of the Naxalite movement. However, over years, the movement lost its sheen. A combination of steady erosion in public support and a sustained pressure from security forces forced the Naxalite leaders to escape to the neighbouring states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
The Maoists currently face their most severe leadership vacuum and organizational crisis in years. Since Operation Kagar's launch, they have been unable to convene core committee meetings as cadres and leadership remain scattered. Security forces have strategically surrounded the Karregutta hills, a traditional safe haven along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border from all directions.
Who is Devji?
As per the police records, he hails from Korutla town of Jagitial district, which was part of united Karimnagar district earlier. In fact, the district is known for producing several top Maoist leaders, including Ganapathi who hails from Beerpur village; Nalla Adireddy and Seelam Naresh, the two central committee members who were killed in an encounter at Koyyuru in Karimnagar district in 1999.
He was drawn to the ideology of the Radical Students’ Union while pursuing his degree in 1983. At that time, clashes between ABVP and RSU student groups were common, leading to several police cases. Towards the end of 1983, Tirupati reportedly went underground.
Rising steadily from a cadre member to commander, he eventually became a Central Committee member and the politburo member of the Maoist party. As a strategist in militia strikes, he holds a second-tier leadership position in the party. He was reportedly a part of the central committee meeting in 2009, where the decision was taken to start the Buniyadi Communist Training School, a military training centre for new recruits.
He is a Central Militia Commission member, a strategist in key Maoist attacks. As per the records, Tirupati masterminded the 2010 Dantewada ambush that killed 74 CRPF personnel. The NIA has announced a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head.
He is also credited with creating the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army’s (PLGA) first armed platoon and is known to have played a role in the 2007 attack on Geedam police station in Dantewada. Security agencies describe him as a hard-line strategist with deep influence in southern Chhattisgarh, particularly Bastar and Dantewada.
Devji is believed to have played a key role not only in Maoist recruitment across Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Odisha but also in running military training camps. Police suspect that, in the wake of Operation Kagar, he has been shifting his bases.
Meanwhile, another central committee member Mandvi Hidma alias Santosh was made secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), one of the most powerful decision-making bodies of the outlawed party.
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