In Last Leg Of Anti-Naxal Fight, Four Top Leaders, 300 Cadres Remain Final Challenge

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 18:12 IST

The four Central Committee members and an estimated 300 armed cadres are considered the final core group sustaining the insurgency.

In the last leg of fight against Naxalism, four top leaders and around 300 armed cadres are now considered the final challengers sustaining Left-Wing Extremism in the country, according to security assessments.

According to security agencies, the remaining top Naxalites include Misir Besra in Jharkhand, Devuji alias Tirupati, believed to be operating along the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border, Mupalla Laxman Rao alias Ganapathy, and Malla Raja Reddy in Odisha.

The four Central Committee members and an estimated 300 armed cadres are considered the final core group sustaining the insurgency as the Centre has set the March 2026 deadline to eradicate Naxalism from India.

Meanwhile, an intensive operation has been launched in the KGH–Karegutta Hills region along the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Devuji. Nearly 2,000 security personnel have been deployed in the area.

Earlier this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that Naxal violence is “breathing its last" and will be eliminated by March 31, 2026. While addressing the Delhi Police Raising Day function, Shah said that the last 12 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a “golden era" for India’s internal security.

He said Naxalism, which once spread across 11 states, has now been significantly curtailed.

“We are very close to completely eradicating Naxalism, and we will certainly succeed in making the entire country free from Naxal violence by March 31, 2026," he said.

“In the Northeast as well, over 10,000 youth have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream, and through over 12 peace agreements, the Centre has done significant work in establishing peace", he said.

During the Budget Session of the Parliament, the Home Ministry informed that Naxal violence has declined by 88 per cent since 2010 and is now confined to only eight districts nationwide. The government said the number of affected districts has fallen from 126 in 2018 to just eight by December 2025, with only three classified as “most affected".

“The resolute implementation of the ‘National Policy and Action Plan 2015’ has resulted in consistent decline in violence and constriction of geographical spread. LWE which has been a serious challenge to the internal security of the nation has been significantly curbed in the recent times and has been constricted to only a few pockets. The number of LWE-affected districts reduced from 126 in 2018 to only 08 in December-2025 with only 3 districts now remaining Most LWE Affected."

According to the home ministry, violence incidents have dropped from a peak of 1,936 in 2010 to 234 in 2025, while civilian and security force deaths have declined by 90 per cent during the same period. In 2025 alone, security forces neutralised 364 Naxals, arrested 1,022 and facilitated 2,337 surrenders.

The Centre has simultaneously expanded surrender-cum-rehabilitation schemes that offer financial assistance, vocational training and stipends to former cadres, alongside large-scale road, telecom, education and financial inclusion projects in previously affected districts.

News india In Last Leg Of Anti-Naxal Fight, Four Top Leaders, 300 Cadres Remain Final Challenge

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