80% drop in Left Wing Extremism violent incidents since 2010, MHA tells Lok Sabha

LWE violence in India dropped 80% since 2010, with 90% fewer deaths. The government aims to eradicate it by March 2026, focusing on affected districts.

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) informed Parliament on Tuesday that left wing extremism (LWE) related violent incidents have come down by 80% — from 1,936 incidents in 2010 to only 234 in 2025.

Union home minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, to completely wipe out LWE from the country. (Sansad TV)

Deaths of civilians and security personnel have also come down by 90%, from 1,005 deaths in 2010 to 100 last year, it said, adding that a record number of 2,337 Naxals surrendered, 364 were killed and 1,022 were arrested in a 2025 alone.

Responding to a written question in the Lok Sabha, union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai said, “The resolute implementation of the ‘National Policy and Action Plan 2015’ has resulted in consistent decline in violence and constriction of geographical spread. LWE, which has been a serious challenge to the nation’s internal security, has been significantly curbed in recent times and has been constricted to only a few pockets”.

Rai added that the number of LWE-affected districts have reduced from 126 in 2018 to only eight in December 2025, with only three districts now labelled as “most-affected” districts.

Of the eight affected districts, six are in Chhattisgarh — Bijapur, Dantewada, Gariyaband, Kanker, Narayanpur, Sukma — while the remaining two are West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Kandhamal in Odisha.

Rai said that the number of police stations reporting LWE-related violence has significantly dropped from 465 in 2010 to 119 in 2025. “The government of India is committed to completely eradicate LWE from our country and ensure holistic development of areas freed from LWE,” Rai added.

Responding to a separate query in Lok Sabha related to LWE, Rai said that “a new category of districts was introduced in 2024, namely ‘legacy and thrust’ districts.” “Though these districts are no longer LWE affected, support to the states for these districts will continue to consolidate the gains and prevent relapse. At present, 30 districts fall under this category, and the measures being undertaken are aimed at ensuring long-term stability and inclusive growth in these regions,” the MoS said.

Between 2019 and 2025, the central forces, in collaboration with state police, established 320 camps in Naxal-affected states, including 68 night-landing helipads. Besides, the number of fortified police stations, which was 66 in 2014, has now increased to 620.

Union home minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, to completely wipe out LWE from the country.