Senior Naxalite leader Bhupathi surrenders with 60 other cadres in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli

One of the most prominant Naxalite leaders, Mallojula Venugopal alias Bhupathi, laid down arms late Monday night, taking with him 60 other cadres, marking a significant setback for the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Bhupathi, along with the cadres, including a member of the central committee and ten members of a divisional committee, surrendered before the police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. Venugopal alias Bhupathi alias Sonu was considered one of the most influential strategists in the Maoist organisation and had long supervised platoon operations along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, according to sources. According to the Indian Express , Bhupathi alias Sonu was not only the ideological head of the party but also its communication specialist and the thread that connected it to the world outside the forests of Chhattisgarh Sonu used to have ties with the outside world. He used to be the connect with Maoist sympathisers and frontal organisations. With his exit, it is clear that the Maoist party has suffered a setback, an intelligence official said, reported the Indian Express. According to a PTI report citing sources, growing differences between Bhupathi and the top Naxal leadership in recent months led to internal conflict in the party, which might have been a catalyst to his exit. Bhupathi had claimed that the armed struggle failed and appealed for a shift towards peace and dialogue, citing diminishing public support and the loss of hundreds of cadres. His stand met with resistance from other senior cadres who decided to continue the fight under another leader, the sources said. Under pressure from the central Naxal leadership, Bhupathi eventually agreed to lay down arms, announced his exit from the outfit, and surrendered with his followers before the Gadchiroli police, they said. In recent months, Gadchiroli district has witnessed a steady stream of Naxalites surrendering before the police. Earlier this year, Bhupathi's wife Tarakka also surrendered. She was a member of the Dandkaranya special zonal committee of the outlawed movement.