Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh): As many as 210 Maoist cadres, including Aashanna alias Rupesh, senior Maoist and Central Committee member, surrendered before authorities in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur on Friday, making it the largest mass surrender in the history of anti-Naxal operations in the state, officials said.

This surrender has dealt a major blow to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), which is already reeling due to the deaths of its key operatives, including its general secretary, in encounters, police officials said here.

Aashanna whose original name is Takkallapalli Vasudeva Rao hailed from Venkatapuram in Molugu district of Telangana. Also known as Satish, Aashanna joined the outlawed outfit nearly 40 years ago. Also known as Satish, he is one of the most wanted leaders of the banned outfit and an accused in the killing of A Madhav Reddy, former home minister in united AP.

He carried a bounty of Rs 40 lakh on his head, police said.

The 210 surrendered cadres, including 111 women, from Dandakaranya region, which comprises parts of south Chhattisgarh (Bastar) and bordering areas of Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, carried a cumulative bounty of Rs 9.18 crore, they said.

"For the first time in the history of anti-Naxal operations, such a large number of Maoist cadres have collectively quit violence and surrendered their weapons, which is a symbolic end to the armed struggle," Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range Sundarraj P said. The surrendered cadres include one Central Committee Member, four Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) members, one Regional Committee Member, 22 Divisional Committee Members (DVCM), 61 Area Committee Members (ACM), 98 Party Members, 98 PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army)/RPC (Revolutionary Party Committee)/others, he said. "CCM Rupesh carried a reward of Rs 40 lakh, while four DKSZC members, Bhaskar alias Rajman Mandavi, Ranita, Raju Salam and Dhannu Vetti @ Santu had bounties of Rs 25 lakh each on their heads. Other cadres carried a bounty ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh," the IG informed.

The surrendered cadres handed over 153 weapons, including 19 AK-47 rifles, 17 SLR rifles, 23 INSAS rifles, 1 INSAS LMG (Light Machine Gun), thirty six .303 rifles, four carbines, 11 BGLs (Barrel Grenade Launchers), 41 single-barrel / 12-bore guns, one pistol, Sundarraj said. "This historic surrender is the outcome of coordinated and sustained efforts under the guidance of the Central and state Governments, with active participation of the police, security forces, local administration, and an alert and aware society," he said.

Continuous efforts focused on peace, dialogue, and development have inspired many cadres to renounce violence and embrace a respectful, peaceful, and harmonious life within the framework of law and society, the IG pointed out.

Another police official said Rupesh, who was associated with the banned outfit for the last 36 years, had served in various positions. He was currently in charge of North Sub Zonal Bureau of DKSZC, which is the strongest formation of Maoists handling activities in south Chhattisgarh (Bastar region). In recent months, the Maoists have suffered successive setbacks in Bastar Range and other LWE-affected districts of Chhattisgarh. The outlawed movement has seen the neutralization of senior leaders, large recoveries of weapons and explosives, and the dismantling of multiple hideouts in their erstwhile strongholds, as per police.