With Basavaraju gone, Maoist movement faces unprecedented weakness

The death of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Basavaraju has left the group without a central leader for the first time in decades, pushing the Maoist insurgency to a crossroads. Killed in a major gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh, Basavaraju’s absence creates a leadership vacuum at a time when the movement faces heavy pressure. As factions debate succession and the way forward, India’s forces see this as a critical blow, potentially accelerating efforts to end the insurgency by next year.