Is Maoist top man Namballa Kesava Rao among the killed in Chhattisgarh gun fight?

Sources in the Telangana police have confirmed that Kesava Rao is believed to be among those killed. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh police have reported the deaths of several senior Maoist leaders, though they have yet to officially disclose any names.

Hyderabad: Is the general secretary of the (CPI Maoist) Namballa Kesava Rao, better known as Basava Raj, among the 26 naxalites killed in an fierce gun fight with the security forces in Chhattisgarh?
Reports emanating from the encounter site, indicate that there are several top cadre Maoist leaders among those killed. Sources in Telangana police indicate that Kesava Rao was indeed one among the killed. The Chhattisgarh police have also indicated about deaths of several top cadre Maoist leaders, but have so far not revealed the names.

Kesava Rao hailed from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and is aged around 67 years. He was made as the General Secretary of the CPI Maoist, after its charismatic leader Muppala Laxmana Rao alias Ganapathi stepped down from the post in 2017. Kesava Rao, known to be the best military brain in the banned party, headed the Central Military Commission (CMC) for a long time before being elevated to the top position.

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His death, if confirmed, will be the biggest blow to the revolutionary movement in India and it would certainly the biggest crisis the Maoist party would face in the recent times.