Security forces in Chhattisgarh killed 12 alleged Maoists from Battalion No. 1 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), last month. The January 16 operation in Bijapur was part of the relentless pressure that the security forces have built on the Maoists since 2024, forcing the PLGA on the defensive, and splitting its sword arm, Battalion No. 1, into two. Still, senior officials caution that the armed formation remains a formidable threat in the jungles of Bijapur and Sukma, posing a major challenge to the goal of ending the Maoist rebellion by March 2026. How is the PLGA organised? The PLGA was formed on December 2, 2000. Its formation can be seen as a “three-tier pyramid structure with a main force at the top, a secondary force, and the base force,” R K Vij, a former additional director general in charge of anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, said. The base force is the largest, and consists of militia members who are generally armed, and act as the eyes and ears of the Maoists. The secondary force consists of armed Local Guerilla Squad (LGS), Local Organisational Squads (LOSs) and platoons that are active in the jurisdiction of an area committee (AC) to propagate the Maoist political ideology and harass the security forces. At the top of the pyramid is Battalion No. 1, consisting of three companies (Coy), including the Headquarters Coy and other companies that usually remain with their divisions but on occasion move out of their areas on the command of higher committees. Coy 7 guards the general secretary of the CPI (Maoist), and avoids engaging in any encounter with the security forces that would give away their location. “Most of these companies remain active but have become weak now. Many have been reduced to the platoon level,” Vij said. Battalion No. 1 has approximately 180-200 members, about 60% of whom are men and the rest women. It has three companies including the Headquarters company. Each company has around 50-70 members, and a platoon has roughly 15-20 members. Companies are at the divisional committee level; platoons are at the area committee level. Who are the top leaders of the PLGA? The top of the hierarchy includes central military commanders, zonal commanders, and leaders of the companies. The top Maoist leader associated with PLGA Battalion No. 1 is General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraj, who heads the CPI (Maoist), and carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head. He is followed by Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devji the Maoist Politburo member in charge of the Central Military Commission; Hidma Madvi, a former commander of Battalion No. 1 who is currently in charge of its military affairs; Barse Deva; Sodhi Kesha; and Kallu. How serious is the threat from Battalion No. 1? Six major attacks in Sukma and Bijapur are attributed to Battalion No. 1, in which a total 155 security forces personnel have lost their lives. The most recent attack took place on January 30 last year in Tekalgudem, Sukma, where though the battalion was pushed back, their snipers gunned down three jawans, two from elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and one from CRPF. On April 6, 2010, 76 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and seven injured in an encounter in the Tadmetla hills of Sukma. On March 11, 2017, 12 CRPF jawans providing security to road construction workers were shot dead in Bankupara village in the jungles of Sukma. Two personnel were injured. On April 30, 2017, 25 CRPF jawans were killed and seven injured while they were providing security to road construction workers in Burkapal village in Sukma. On March 21, 2020, 17 jawans from district force and Special Task Force (STF) were killed and 14 injured in an encounter in the Minpa-Burkapal hills in Sukma. On April 3, 2021, 22 jawans from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), STF, and elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were killed and 29 injured in an encounter in Pedadagelur-Tekalgudem on the border of Bijapur and Sukma. In six encounters between 2013 and 2025, 57 Maoists from Battalion no.1 have been killed by security forces, confirmed Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P. How potent is Battalion No. 1 currently? By 2025, following an increase in the deployment of forces and opening of new police camps in Sukma-Bijapur, Battalion No. 1 was forced to break up into two groups. However, the Battalion remains a formidable force,” a senior police official from the Bastar region said. It is estimated that Battalion 1 has 50-100 weapons, including looted and locally assembled arms. They primarily use AK-47s, INSAS rifles, LMGs, and self-loading rifles (SLRs); improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and grenades; and other weaponry such as Barrel Grenade Launchers (BGL), a muzzle-loading firearm known as “Bharmar”, and .303 rifles. A police source said at least six snipers are part of Battalion 1. In June 2012, the Maoists had formed a Battalion No. 2, but they dissolved it within two years following desertions and loss of leadership. What about the strength of other PLGA units? The Dandakaranya Special Zone (DKSZ), which largely consists of southern Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli, has nine divisions. Each division, except the Rajnandgaon-Kanker Border (RKB) and Darbha divisions, has a company, and the South Bastar division has a battalion. “The strength of most of these companies has reduced,” Vij said. Company No. 1 is based in Abujhmad for the Maad division; No. 2 is in West Bastar division; and Nos. 3 and 8, along with the Headquarters company form Battalion 1, which operates in South Bastar division. Company No. 4, which operated in North Gadchiroli, was dissolved after the killing of Central Committee (CC) member Milind Teltumbde and many other cadres in 2021. Nos. 5 and 6 are in North and East Bastar respectively. No. 7 has a strong force of about 50 people; it protects CC members and avoids participating in other actions. No. 9 is in National Park-Indravati-Bhamragarh (NIB) area (area of Maad bordering south Gadchiroli) and is almost like a platoon. No.10 in South Gadchiroli has also become weak and turned into a platoon. A company called the Central Regional Company (CRC) operates on the Telangana-Dandakaranya border. During the Maoists’ annual pre-summer “Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC)” period that begins generally in Feb-March, the PLGA tries to make bigger formations in the form of commands to attack security personnel.
