Overview

• Telangana intelligence officials told The Indian Express that longtime military chief Thippiri Tirupathi, also known as Devuji, has taken over as the banned group’s general secretary.
• For roughly two decades, Tirupathi led the Central Military Commission, and he is counted among three remaining Politburo members, according to the reports.
• Authorities say Tirupathi and ideologue Mallojula Venugopal Rao, known as Sonu, each carry Rs 1 crore bounties and are believed to be hiding in Abujhmad in southern Chhattisgarh.
• Security documents accessed by reporters indicate the Politburo instructed cadres to retreat, as central and state forces intensify operations under a 2026 elimination target for left‑wing extremism.
• Separate interrogations of a surrendered Maoist point to PLGA 1st Battalion commander Madvi Hidma being tapped as Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee secretary.