With the clock ticking relentlessly toward March 31, Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Chhattisgarh's Raipur, launching what is being seen as the final strategic offensive against Maoists in the state.
This is Shah's second visit to Chhattisgarh in just two months, and it comes at a moment when only 52 days remain to meet the deadline he himself set to eradicate the decades-old problem.
Beginning a three-day visit (February 7-9), Shah's first engagement is a high-level security review involving top officials from central and state security agencies, paramilitary commanders, state police leadership, and intelligence chiefs.
Sources say the meeting will take stock of ground operations and chalk out the last-mile strategy to neutralise or force the surrender of Maoist leadership.
The visit signals the start of a decisive phase. Ever since Shah announced the March 31 deadline, security forces have intensified operations across Maoist-affected belts particularly in Bastar division.
Officials believe the post-meeting period could see even sharper, coordinated action in forested interiors and border zones.
Shah will also attend the closing ceremony of the Pandum festival in Bastar, underlining the government's twin-track approach to security dominance alongside cultural and civic outreach.
Notably, he had earlier participated in the 60th DGP-IGP Conference at IIM Nava Raipur last November, where the roadmap for the current push was discussed.
Just hours before Shah's arrival, the ground narrative shifted decisively. Twenty-one Maoists surrendered in Sukma on Saturday; 7 men and 14 women with a combined bounty of Rs 76 lakh.
Another 30 Maoists laid down arms in Bijapur, carrying rewards totaling Rs 85 lakh. Among the Sukma surrenders were DVC members Sodhi Mahesh, Podium Raju, and Karam Mamta, each carrying an Rs 8 lakh bounty. The cadres turned in AK-47s, INSAS rifles, and other automatic weapons.
Security officials say the surrendered cadres were active across Bijapur, Dantewada, and Sukma, indicating pressure across multiple theatres.
Once entrenched for nearly 40 years in Bastar, the Maoist network has been severely weakened. In the past 18 months, 23 Maoistleaders have been neutralised, including Madvi Hidma, organisation secretary Basavaraju, Ganesh Uike, and 16 other senior figures.
Others like Bhupati, Rupesh, and Ramdher have surrendered along with hundreds of followers.
