Maoist spokesperson Ananth surrenders in Maharashtra before deadline he set for others

MMCSZC spokesperson Vikas Nagpure alias Ananth surrendered with 15 associates in Maharashtra’s Gondia, days after urging Maoist cadres to lay down arms en masse by January 1, 2026. His sudden move is expected to deepen confusion among cadres already under pressure from intensified operations.

Kothagudem: Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh Special Zonal Committee (MMCSZC) Spokesperson Vikas Nagpure alias Ananth laid down his arms on Friday night and surrendered to police at Gondia in Maharashtra.

It might be recalled that in a letter dated November 22, addressed to Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh – Devendra Fadnavis, Vishnu Deo Sai and Mohan Yadav- as well as Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma, he had asked the governments to give them a breathing space time till February 15, 2026 to reach a consensus.

---

In another letter to the above and audio clips released to the media on November 27, he said the Maoists were ready to give up arms on January 1, 2026.

The Naxal also leader told his comrades that they should not lay down the arms in small groups but en masse. He also gave a radio set frequency-435.715 to all MMC cadres to contact the leadership between 11am and 11:15 every day for the next month until January 1, 2026.

But in a turnaround, he along with his 15 associates surrendered to police. What compelled him to take such a sudden decision was not clear but it would certainly throw the Maoist cadres, who were said to be under pressure in view of frequent encounters and killing of top leaders, into a state of confusion.