Raipur: Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraj, Gaganna, and Prakash, a prominent Maoist leader and General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), was killed in a major encounter with security forces in the forests of Chhattisgarh on May 21, 2025. At least 26 other Maoists were also killed in the operation. Rao was considered the top commander of the Naxal movement in India.
Hailing from Jiyannapet village in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, Rao was an engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal.
Early Life and Entry into the Movement
Keshava Rao was active in leftist student politics during his college days and joined the CPI-ML (People’s War) in the late 1970s. He was first arrested in 1980 during clashes between student unions but soon became a key organiser for the Naxal movement. He was known as an expert in guerrilla warfare and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), skills he reportedly acquired through training from former LTTE cadres in the forests of Bastar.
Leadership and Major Incidents
Rao played a central role in the formation of the CPI (Maoist) in 2004 and was appointed head of its Central Military Commission, responsible for the party’s military strategies and operations. He was accused of masterminding several major attacks, including:
- The 2010 Dantewada attack, which killed 76 CRPF personnel.
- The Jhiram Valley attack, which resulted in 27 deaths, including senior political leaders.
- The bomb attack on then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu at Alipiri in Tirupati.
In November 2018, he became the General Secretary (Supreme Commander) of the CPI (Maoist), succeeding Muppala Lakshmana Rao (Ganapathy).
Death
Nambala Keshava Rao was one of India’s most wanted militants, with a bounty of ₹1 crore on his head. His death in the encounter on May 21, 2025, marks a significant development in anti-Naxal operations.
Legacy
Keshava Rao is remembered as an aggressive strategist, deeply committed to radical Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ideology, and instrumental in shaping the Maoist movement’s military tactics. Under his leadership, the Maoist movement carried out several major attacks against security forces and political targets.
