India, July 12 -- Twenty-three Maoists with a cumulative reward of Rs.1.18 crore surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, police said. This comes a day after 22 Maoists with a Rs.37.5 lakh bounty, who were active in the Abhujmad forest region, surrendered in Narayanpur district.

Around 11 senior Maoist cadres surrendered, including 35-year-old divisional committee member Lokesh, alias Podiam Bhima, and a few others from the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, considered the strongest armed formation of the CPI (Maoist).

"This surrender wave clearly shows that the ideological grip of the Maoist movement is weakening. Their senior cadres are disillusioned with the hollow promi...