Ten Naxalites laid down their weapons and surrendered themselves in front of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at a ceremony in Balaghat on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Friday (December 12, 2025) that “elimination” of Maoism from the State was the biggest achievement of his tenure, as he listed out his government’s works on the completion of two years in office.
Mr. Yadav had assumed office of the Chief Minister on December 13, 2023, after the BJP’s massive victory in the Assembly elections, replacing his predecessor Shivraj Singh Chouhan who helmed the post for more than 16 years.
“I am proud to say that Madhya Pradesh has become Naxal-free ahead of schedule [as per the deadline of March 31, 2026, set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah]. The elimination of Naxalism from the state is the biggest achievement of my two-year tenure. Whatever the reasons were for the spread of Naxalism in Balaghat, Mandla, and Dindori districts, we will strengthen our internal system so that this snake does not raise its hood again,” Mr. Yadav said while addressing a press conference along with his two deputies — Rajendra Shukla and Jagdish Devda — in Bhopal.
The Chief Minister said that the State has received investment proposals of more than ₹32 lakh crore in the past two years and those of ₹8.57 lakh crore have been materialised so far. Mr. Yadav, who has made bringing industry to the State a priority of his government, has held multiple investor summits in various cities across the country apart from visiting countries like Japan, Germany and Britain to attract businesses.
He said that the government has approved 18 new policies to promote a new and smooth ecosystem for businesses in the State.
Mr. Yadav also listed the increment in the monthly allowance to women under the Ladli Behna Scheme from Rs1,250 to Rs1,500, and agreements for river interlinking projects like the Ken-Betwa and Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal with neighbouring states among the achievements of his government.
The Congress, however, hit out at the BJP government, accusing it of pushing the State into a “economic, social, and administrative crisis” and highlighting issues like fertiliser shortage and deaths of farmers while waiting in queue, and increasing debt on the State exchequer.
“The State is currently burdened with a debt of ₹4.75 lakh crore. The Chief Minister must answer how the 22-year BJP government weakened Madhya Pradesh economically to such an extent,” State Congress president Jitu Patwari said at a press conference.
Mr. Patwari also said, “In 2013, there were 1.59 crore children and a budget of ₹7,000 crore. Today, the number of children has decreased to 1.04 crore, but the budget has increased to ₹37,000 crore—despite this, there are no teachers in schools, scams in the mid-day meal scheme, and the future of children is at risk.”
Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly Umang Singhar claimed that farmers were not getting the right price for any crop such as maize, wheat and soybean.
“Farmers are standing in lines for fertilizer, even children are standing in lines all day, and the police are lathi-charging them,” Mr. Singhar said.
Published – December 13, 2025 04:20 am IST