Hyderabad: The CPI (Maoist)’s People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), once the most formidable armed wing of the Maoist movement in central India, has now been reduced to a small group of cadres along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, following a series of killings, surrenders and sustained security operations.Police sources say that only a small contingent of around 20 cadres remains active in the Karreguttalu hills, led by Sodi Keshalu alias Malla, deputy commander of PLGA battalion. In recent weeks, the formation has suffered major setbacks. Commander Hidma was killed, Badise Sukka alias Deva surrendered, and two more commanders along with several cadres also laid down arms. The once powerful guerrilla battalion, formed during the peak of Maoist activity in the early 2000, now stands largely weakened.
A top source in Telangana police said, “There are only around 20 PLGA cadres left now on Karreguttalu led by Keshalu. They are stubborn and not surrendering. If CRPF or Chhattisgarh District Reserve Guard (DRG) puts pressure from the Chhattisgarh side, then they may yield.”According to police sources, following the surrender of Deva, Keshalu took charge. He earlier served as commander of the 1st company during the Dharmaram camp attack in Jan 2024. As of early this year, he is reported to be moving in the Karreguttalu hills with around 20 to 30 cadres and is armed with an AK-47. Police sources said he earlier escaped an encounter at Annaram in Nov 2025. How PLGA was formed Director general of police B Shivadhar Reddy said the PLGA did not have a specific individual founder. According to him, it was established by CPI (ML) People’s War on Dec 2, 2000, when Muppalla Laskhmana Rao alias Ganapathi was heading the organisation. “The PLGA was founded to commemorate the first death anniversary of the encounter deaths of their central committee members Nalla Adi Reddy, Yerramreddy Santosh Reddy and Sheelam Naresh in Koyyur of erstwhile Karimnagar district,” the DGP said. Police said that after the 2004 merger of CPI (ML) People’s War and Maoist Communist Centre, People’s Guerrilla Army was renamed as the PLGA. Initially, the armed wing operated through smaller guerrilla companies. Later, the Maoist central committee decided to create larger military formations by merging companies into battalions. The first PLGA battalion was formed in 2009 with around 200 cadres, by merging company 3 commanded by Hidma and company 8 under Singanna, along with other PLGA cadres. Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraj, then central military commission in-charge, along with Devuji and Ramanna, played a key role in forming the battalion. Bastar stronghold According to police, the battalion primarily operated in south Bastar and parts of west Bastar, moving through dense forest belts. Over the years, the battalion was involved in several ambushes and attacks on security forces, including incidents at Singanmadugu, Thadimetla, Gattam, Kistaram, Kasalpad, Pidmel, Kothacheruvu, Burkapal, Palodi, Minpa and Tekulagudem. Police records indicate that these attacks led to casualties among security personnel and seizure of weapons and ammunition. The formation also maintained specialised units, including a technical wing for manufacturing weapons and explosives, communication teams using VHF and UHF radio systems, intelligence units tracking the movement of security forces, and training teams providing military instruction to cadres.
