NEW DELHI: The neutralisation of Madvi Hidma, the youngest CPI (Maoist) central committee member and yet its most dreaded military commander, came 12 days ahead of the Nov 30, 2025 deadline set by home minister Amit Shah for the counter-Naxal forces to end his terror run. Hidma’s exit may have brought the security establishment realistically close to achieving the March 31, 2026 goal set by home minister Amit Shah for eliminating left-wing extremist violence from the country. As on date, the CPI (Maoist) central committee’s strength stands eroded to seven, including the three politburo members Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devji, Muppalla Laxman Rao alias Ganpathy and Misir Besra. Ganapathy is in his seventies and Misir Besra confined to a small area in Jharkhand with little cadre strength. The remaining four ‘active’ CC members are Ganesh Uikey, Anal Da, Malla Raji Reddy alias Sangram and Ramder.Sources told TOI that after Shah declared last year that Naxalism shall be uprooted by March 31, 2026, he has been giving the security forces mini-goals or milestones to be achieved along the way. These milestones could be freeing a certain area from Maoists’ hold or tackling the top CPI (Maoist) leadership by getting them to surrender or, where unwilling, neutralising them in intelligence-based operations. Sources said Shah, while chairing recent reviews on left-wing extremism, had directed the forces to neutralise Hidma latest by Nov 30.Hidma, who had commanded the dreaded Battalion No 1 of the Peoples’ Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) before passing on the baton to Barse Deva, was the only Bastar tribal to be anointed to CC. The forces had been on his trail for years but Hidma remained elusive. Though Chhattisgarh deputy CM Vijay Sharma had on Nov 10 approached Hidma’s mother to appeal to him to surrender, he did not respond.The killing of Hidma, given how crucial he was to CPI (Maoist)’s operational capabilities, “is a historic milestone in the fight against left wing extremism,” IG, Bastar Range Sundarraj P told TOI. He said the remaining Maoist leaders of concern are Devji, Sangram, Ganesh Uikey, Ramder as well as Barse Deva and Pappa Rao. The assessment is that no more than 100-150 uniformed, armed, full-time Maoist cadres may be active, possibly in the National Park area, Gariyaband or inter-state borders of Chhattisgarh-Telangana and Andhra-Odisha. “Some may surrender after Hidma’s killing. But those who don’t, shall be confronted by the security forces,” he said.The year 2025 has dealt a debilitating blow to the Maoists, with many top leaders killed or having surrendered. The most prominent PB leader to be eliminated was general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, while Mallujola Venugopal Rao alias Sonu surrendered. The CC members neutralised this year include Kadari Satyanarayan Reddy, Katta Ramchandra Reddy, Chalapati, Gajrala Ravi, Vivek Chandri Yadav and Thentu Laxmi. Other CC members who surrendered are Sujata, Chandranna and Rupesh.Was he ready to surrender when he was shot?Telangana cops said Hidma had dropped enough hints about a possible surrender and they were working on it. Chhattisgarh deputy CM Vijay Sharma had met his mother, after which she strongly urged Hidma to give up arms. A Bastar journalist said Hidma wrote to him last week that he was considering surrender and sought help to negotiate with the govt.