New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hailed the surrender of 50 Naxalites in Chhattisgarh and said those who lay down weapons and adopt the path of development will be rehabilitated.

Shah once again appealed to those who have not come forward to surrender to give up arms and join the mainstream.

"After March 31, 2026, Naxalism will become history in the country, this is our resolution," he said.

"It is a matter of great joy that 50 Naxalites in Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) surrendered, abandoning the path of violence. I welcome those who leave violence and weapons and join the mainstream of development," he wrote on 'X' in Hindi.

Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policy is clear that any Naxalite who leaves weapons and adopts the path of development will be rehabilitated and connected to the mainstream.

Fifty Naxalites, including 14 with a cumulative reward of 68 lakh on their heads, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Sunday.

Of the 50 who surrendered, six carried rewards of Rs 8 lakh each, while three had bounties of Rs 5 lakh each. Five others had rewards of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads, police said.

The District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), CRPF and its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) played a key role in their surrender, police said.

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Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.

Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.

Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.

Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.

According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.

She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.

A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.

Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.

Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.