'CPI (Maoist) chief may make way for a younger leader'

NEW DELHI: The banned CPI (Maoist) brass is planning a secret meeting at one of their strongholds, possibly to review the outfit's tactics and strategy, according to recent intelligence inputs.

The proposed meet, which could be held soon, comes amid speculation of CPI (Maoist) general secretary and top leader Mupalla Laxmana Rao alias Ganapathy considering anointment of fellow politburo member, Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavraj, as his successor.

As of Tuesday, barely seven of the 15-member politburo, the highest decision-making body of the CPI (Maoist) are active, with the remaining either dead, surrendered or in jail. Similarly, 17 of the total 33 central committee members are at large.

According to sources in the central security establishment, though there are no documents or 'confessions' by any arrested Naxalite confirming plans of a change at the helm of the outlawed group, such talk has been doing the rounds for the past 4-5 months. "It's been carried from one person to another and has also reached the agencies. However, there is nothing concrete with us on the said move," said an officer.

However, intelligence agencies are unwilling to dismiss the "information" as rumour. "Ganapathy's health has been failing. He has had several health issues, including diabetes, arthiritis etc, for the past decade or so.

Also, he is believed to be angling for a younger leadership to inspire the youth to join the Maoist movement. Basavraj is almost 10 years younger to him and specialises in technical matters, including assembling explosives and IEDs, apart from heading the Central Military Commission and People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, both armed wings of the CPI(Maoist). So the succession plans do sound somewhat realistic," said an ex-IPS officer.

Though the location of the latest meeting being planned by CPI(Maoist) leadership is not known, sources indicated that it could be held in one of their pocket boroughs on the West Bengal-Jharkhand border, Jharkhand or Andhra-Odisha border.

"The Maoists have been planning smaller and larger meetings but have not been successful in holding them, given the high security risk. The last known Maoist Congress was in 2007 and another smaller meeting was held in 2012. An attempt by the leadership to meet in Saranda forest of Jharkhand last year failed. Now, we hear that another meeting is planned in the coming days or months," according to the officer The Maoist leaders prefer to communicate through couriers.

"Even if Ganapathy intends to name a successor, a consensus can't be built without the leaders congregating at one place. Other politburo members may individually communicate their consent/objection to Ganapathy through couriers, before a final decision," said an intelligence operative.