No district affected by Naxalism anymore: Ministry of home affairs

NEW DELHI: On a day the last 'active' CPI(Maoist) politburo member, Misir Besra, was neutralised, Union home ministry informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the count of Left-wing extremism-affected districts in the country had fallen to 'zero' in March 2026 from 126 prior to April 2018.In written reply to a question, MoS for home Nityanand Rai shared that 33 incidents of violence perpetrated by Maoists were recorded till July 21 this year, in which six civilians and five security personnel were killed.In all probability, these incidents preceded March 31, 2026, when the country was declared Naxal-free. This is a steep fall from 486 incidents recorded in 2023, which had resulted in the deaths of 107 civilians and 32 security force personnel.The 2026 data till July 21, lists 'zero' incidents and deaths in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal and Kerala.Chhattisgarh recorded 18 incidents and seven deaths and Jharkhand, 13 incidents and three deaths. While the number of Naxal-affected districts is currently nil, 37 districts are classified as 'legacy and thrust' districts.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.