"Top Naxal cadres have been neutralised": Chhattisgarh CM after top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma gunned down

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], November 19 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that top Naxal cadres have been neutralised and reiterated the resolve of the Union government to eliminate left-wing extremism.
"Ever since we came to power, our jawans have been in action against Naxalism. Our Government is in the Centre too, we are benefiting from that as well. It is the resolve of Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Home Minister (Amit Shah) to eliminate Naxalism by 2026. Our jawans are fighting this (naxalism) and they have been tasting success too. Naxalism is breathing its last now. Top Naxal cadres have been neutralised. Today too, some members have been neutralised...," CM Sai told reporters here.
Bastar IG P Sundarraj on Tuesday called the killing of top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma a "decisive advantage" for security forces. He added that the militants now have no choice but to surrender and integrate into the mainstream or face consequences.
Hidma, accused of orchestrating over 26 armed assaults on security forces and civilians, was reportedly shot dead in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharamaraju district. Along with Hidma, his wife Raje and other members of the Maoist group, including Chelluri Narayana, and Tech Shankar were also killed, sources said.
Hidma was eliminated days ahead of the November 30 deadline set by security agencies for his capture or neutralisation, the sources told ANI.
Speaking to ANI, IG Sundarraj said, "This is a decisive advantage for the security forces, not just for the Dandakaranya region or Bastar but for the entire India. The security forces have led campaigns against the Maoists during which the dead bodies of their general secretaries and politburo members have been recovered in 2025. This has forced the Maoist cadres to leave Bastar and take shelter in other regions. But wherever they go, they have no choice left now. Even if they go underground, or in the sky, they have no choice left but to surrender and be part of the mainstream, or else they will have to suffer the consequences."
"Today, an encounter took place between the Andhra Pradesh security forces and Maoists. Following the encounter, the bodies of six Maoists were recovered by security forces. One of them was Madvi Hidma, a Central Committee member of the Maoists who was formerly the commander of a PLGA battalion and is known as a face of terrorism. His body was also recovered in today's encounter. The bodies of Hidma's wife and four other Maoists were recovered, a total of six Maoists, and a large quantity of 47 AKs and ammunition were also recovered from the spot," Bastar IG added. (ANI)