Top Maoist Who Tried to Kill Chandrababu Naidu Shot Dead

A key Maoist leader who once plotted to assassinate Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has been killed in a police encounter in Chhattisgarh. The incident took place on Wednesday during a major anti-Maoist operation in the Narayanpur forests, where security forces gunned down 26 Maoists. Among them was Nambala Kesava Rao, also known as Basavaraju alias Ganganna, a notorious figure in the Maoist movement.

Nambala played a major role in the 2003 Alipiri attack near Tirupati, where a landmine explosion targeted Chandrababu Naidu’s convoy. Naidu, who was then the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh, escaped with injuries thanks to his bulletproof vehicle. The attack was widely seen as a major threat to a serving CM, and Nambala was believed to be one of the masterminds behind it.

Originally from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, Nambala was an engineering graduate and later joined in the Naxalite movement. Over time, he rose through the ranks to become a central figure in Maoist operations across the Dandakaranya region and was serving as the General Secretary of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee.

He was also accused of planning and executing several other deadly attacks on political leaders, including the brutal killings of former TDP MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and ex-MLA Siveri Soma in Andhra Pradesh. His involvement extended beyond violence, as he played a pivotal role in shaping the ideological and structural transformation of the Naxalite group into the CPI (Maoist).

With a reward of over ₹1.5 crore on his head, Nambala had been a top target for security forces for years. Wednesday’s encounter is being seen as a major blow to the Maoist leadership and a significant step in the ongoing crackdown under “Operation Kagar” led by the central government.