Bastar declared Maoist-free: Eknath Shinde hails Amit Shah's anti-Naxal push
Synopsis
Home Minister Amit Shah declared Bastar — long India's most volatile Maoist heartland — completely free of Naxals, ahead of the government's own March 2026 deadline. The announcement, made at an unprecedented Central Zonal Council meeting in Jagdalpur itself, signals a strategic inflection point: the security battle is claimed as won; the harder test of delivering development to long-neglected tribal districts now begins.
Key Takeaways
Home Minister Amit Shah declared Chhattisgarh's Bastar region 'Maoist-free' on 19 May 2025 , ahead of the 31 March 2026 target.
The announcement came at the 26th Central Zonal Council meeting, held for the first time in Jagdalpur , Bastar.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde congratulated Shah and called it a 'big achievement' for India.
BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said Shah had fulfilled his 'time-bound promise' to eliminate Naxalism.
Shinde also credited the Modi government for anti-Naxal progress in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district.
Leaders have flagged roads, healthcare, and education as the next priorities for formerly Naxal-affected areas.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde on Tuesday, 19 May lauded Union Home Minister Amit Shah after Shah declared Chhattisgarh's Bastar region completely free of Maoists — ahead of the government's own deadline of 31 March 2026. The announcement was made at a press conference following the 26th meeting of the Central Zonal Council, held for the first time in Jagdalpur, Bastar district.
Shah's Declaration and Its Significance
Home Minister Amit Shah stated that Naxalism has been fully eradicated from Bastar and, by extension, from the rest of the country — well before the target deadline. The Central Zonal Council meeting at Jagdalpur marked a symbolic moment: convening a key federal governance platform in a region long associated with Maoist violence underscored the administration's confidence in the security situation on the ground.
What Shinde Said
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde called the development a milestone. 'I thank and congratulate Home Minister Amit Shah. He had announced that India would be freed from Naxalism, and today we saw that Bastar has become Maoist-free,' he said. He added: 'India is also becoming free from Naxalism, and this is a big achievement.'
Shinde expressed optimism about the development dividend expected in formerly Naxal-affected areas. 'Roads will be made, healthcare and education will be improved. There will be a huge positive impact in people's lives,' he asserted. He also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shah for progress in Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, a region that has similarly seen sustained anti-Naxal operations.
BJP Voices Support
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain also welcomed the declaration. 'The country's Home Minister Amit Shah is being appreciated across the nation for his announcement of a time-bound plan to eliminate Naxalism. He has fulfilled his promise, and the country is now free from Naxalism,' Hussain said.
What Comes Next for Bastar
With the security situation reportedly stabilised, attention is expected to shift to development and rehabilitation in Bastar and other formerly affected districts. Officials and political leaders have pointed to infrastructure, healthcare, and education as the immediate priorities. Notably, the holding of the Central Zonal Council meeting in Jagdalpur itself signals that the Centre views the region as ready for mainstream administrative engagement. Whether ground-level development follows the security gains at the pace promised will be the defining measure of this milestone.
Point of View
Not a development outcome — and that distinction matters enormously for Bastar's future. The region has seen repeated announcements of Naxal retreat over two decades, each followed by a resurgence when governance did not fill the vacuum. The Central Zonal Council meeting in Jagdalpur is symbolically significant, but the harder accountability question is whether the Centre's infrastructure and employment commitments for tribal districts will be time-bound and measurable in the way the security campaign was. Political congratulations are easy; verifiable development timelines are not.
NationPress
4 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Maoist-free' mean for Bastar?
Home Minister Amit Shah declared on 19 May 2025 that Naxalism has been fully eradicated from Bastar, Chhattisgarh, ahead of the government's March 2026 deadline. It means security forces consider active Maoist presence in the region to have been eliminated, though development and rehabilitation work is still expected to follow.
Where did Amit Shah make the Bastar announcement?
Shah made the declaration at a press conference after the 26th meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Jagdalpur, Bastar district — the first time this federal council meeting was held in the region.
Why did Eknath Shinde praise Amit Shah over the Bastar declaration?
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde congratulated Shah because the declaration fulfils a publicly stated government pledge to make India Naxal-free. Shinde also cited progress in Maharashtra's own Gadchiroli district as part of the same national effort under the Modi government.
What happens in Bastar now that it is declared Maoist-free?
Leaders including Shinde have indicated that roads, healthcare, and education will be the immediate development priorities. The Centre is expected to accelerate infrastructure investment in formerly Naxal-affected districts, though no specific timelines or budgets were announced at the Jagdalpur meeting.
Who else welcomed the Maoist-free declaration?
BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain also welcomed the announcement, saying Amit Shah had fulfilled his time-bound promise to eliminate Naxalism from the country.
