MP Declares State ‘Naxal-Free’ After Two Wanted Cadres Surrender In Balaghat

Two Naxalites carrying significant cash rewards surrendered in Balaghat district on Thursday, prompting Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to declare that the state is now free of the Maoist presence.

According to PTI, Yadav made the announcement while addressing a programme under the ‘Rehabilitation to Rejuvenation’ campaign through video conference from Bhopal. He said the development was the result of the Centre’s push to eliminate Naxalism by 2026 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Earlier in the day, Naxalites Deepak and Rohit surrendered at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Korka, located under Birsa police station limits in Balaghat. PTI reported that rewards of Rs 29 lakh and Rs 14 lakh had been declared for Deepak and Rohit, respectively, and both expressed their willingness to return to the mainstream.

Balaghat Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra said no “hardcore” Naxal cadre remained active in the district. He noted that Deepak, a resident of Palagaondi, and Rohit had been involved in Naxal activities in the region for several years, and security agencies had been tracking them for a long time. Calling the surrender a “major success”, he said it came after sustained pressure and coordinated action by the CRPF and local police. “This will deal a major blow to the Naxal network in the area,” he added.

Late in the evening, the chief minister said that through the “indomitable courage and sacrifice” of police personnel, “the ‘Lal Salaam’ from Balaghat has been given its final salute”. Reported PTI, Yadav also highlighted that 42 Naxalites carrying a combined bounty of Rs 7.75 crore had surrendered in the Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone in the last 42 days.

He said the Centre had set a deadline of 26 January 2026 for ending Naxalism and described the ongoing operations as a coordinated effort launched “for the first time since independence”. According to an official statement, Yadav said the remaining cadres were left with “only two choices, a chance for a new life or the end of life”. He added that with the surrender of the last two Naxalites on 11 December, the state had become Naxal-free, clearing long-standing barriers to development in Mandla, Dindori and Balaghat.

Yadav said the government would work with local communities to take the region forward and “will not allow Maoism to flourish”. He also paid tribute to police personnel who lost their lives in anti-Naxal operations. The surrendered cadres, he said, would be rehabilitated under the state’s policy, and the government remained committed to ensuring their security.