Man Of The Moment: Will BJP Announce Devendra Fadnavis As Maharashtra CM?

In a state dominated by Maratha politicians, the 54-year-old is only the second Brahmin after Manohar Joshi to become the state’s CM.

Mumbai:Julius Caesar's 'I came, I saw, I conquered' is a fitting line for Devendra Fadnavis today.

The current Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister is leading the BJP's juggernaut in the western state as the saffron-party-led Mahayuti has secured a landslide victory.

Votes were counted today for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly Elections and the results are set to determine the next phase of Fadnavis’ career. From an obscure corporator to becoming the youngest mayor of Nagpur, to the first BJP chief minister of Maharashtra, Fadnavis is clearly the favourite to become the western state’s Chief Minister for the third time.

In a state dominated by Maratha politics and politicians, the 54-year-old leader, with deep roots in RSS, is only the second Brahmin after BJP's estranged ally Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi to become the state’s chief minister.

Ahead of the 2014 assembly polls, the soft-spoken and portly leader was a clear favourite for the coveted post, largely due to the confidence he enjoyed of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader Amit Shah. "Devendra is Nagpur's gift to the country," Modi had said of him at an election rally.

Though Modi had launched a campaign blitzkrieg in the 2014 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly polls, a portion of the credit also went to Fadnavis, then state BJP president, for the party's unprecedented victories in the elections.

Son of Jan Sangh and later BJP leader late Gangadhar Fadnavis, whom his fellow Nagpur politician and former party chief Nitin Gadkari calls his "political guru", Devendra cut his teeth in politics at a young age when he joined Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students wing of RSS, in 1989.

At 22, he became a corporator in the Nagpur civic body and its youngest Mayor in 1997 at the age of 27. Fadnavis contested his first assembly election in 1999 and won. There was no looking back for him as he won three subsequent assembly elections. He currently represents Nagpur South West seat in the House.

Unlike many leaders across the political spectrum in Maharashtra, Fadnavis has remained untainted by accusations of corruption. Among the most articulate Maharashtra politicians, Fadnavis is also credited with pushing the previous Congress-NCP government into a corner over the alleged irrigation scam.

Fadnavis experienced a setback in the aftermath of the 2019 assembly elections as the then united Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray pulled out of the pre-poll alliance over sharing of CM’s post, shattering the BJP leader’s much-hyped “mee punha yein (I will come back again) slogan.

Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister for the second time on November 23, 2019 and Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister. However, before a Supreme Court-ordered no confidence motion could take place, Fadnavis quit on November 26, three days after taking oath as the CM.

Uddhav Thackeray, propped up by Sharad Pawar-led NCP, later became the CM, but quit after senior Sena leader Eknath Shinde split the party and later became the CM.

After Thackeray demitted office following the large-scale desertions in the Sena, many political observers thought that Fadnavis, who they knew was behind the episode, would become the CM. However, the BJP leadership had other plans and a reluctant Fadnavis was asked to occupy the deputy CM’s post.

His tenure in the last two-and-a-half years as Deputy Chief Minister has seen a marked resurgence, and Saturday’s results come as the much-awaited cherry on the cake.

Though he hails from a politically active family, his father and aunt both served in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Fadnavis has crafted his own distinct political identity.

Fadnavis' first tenure as the CM was characterised by a combination of good governance and effective political manoeuvring. He earned praise for his push to expedite infrastructure projects, gaining favour particularly among urban voters.

However, his term was not without challenges. The state suffered significant crop losses due to erratic weather, and his initial rejection of loan waivers for affected farmers sparked widespread protests.

Another major issue during his tenure was the Maratha community's demand for reservations in education and government jobs. Though he passed legislation to meet these demands, the subsequent Supreme Court ruling that overturned the law left many in the Maratha community dissatisfied, blaming Fadnavis for the failure.

The 2019 assembly elections marked a dramatic shift in Fadnavis’ political trajectory. The Shiv Sena’s refusal to join the government unless it shared the Chief Minister’s post led Fadnavis to seek an alternative alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar.

This government, however, was short-lived, collapsing after just 72 hours. Fadnavis then assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly.

In June 2022, following a rebellion within the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis was instructed by the BJP leadership to return to the government as Deputy CM under Shinde.

Although initially reluctant, Fadnavis accepted the role, signalling his loyalty to the party leadership. Even after a significant loss in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he played a pivotal role in shaping the seat-sharing arrangement between the BJP and Shinde’s faction. It remains to be seen whether the saffron party would pick for the state's top job.

DEVENDRA FADNAVIS THE MR CLEAN OF MAHARASHTRA POLITICS:

Devendra Gangadhar Fadnavis, who was born on 22 July 1970 in Nagpur, has many records to his credit.

In October 2014, Fadnavis became the 18th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, leading the first BJP-led government in the state. He served from 31 October 2014 to 12 November 2019. Devendra Fadnavis holds the record of becoming the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra to complete a full five-year term in last 47 years and only the second one in entire history of Maharashtra. At the age of 44, Fadnavis became the youngest Chief Minister of the state after Sharad Pawar.

Country's Second Youngest Mayor: Devendra Fadnavis became the second youngest mayor in India. At the age of 27, he became the youngest mayor in Nagpur, while at the age of 21 he managed to become a corporator.

Awards: In 2002-2003, he was awarded the Best Parliamentarian Award by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Whereas in the year 2016, he was awarded the Nagabhushan Award for his outstanding work in Vidarbha.'

The “Chanakya”: A shrewd politician and a man of patience, Fadnavis - often described as “Chanakya” - is a man of "surgical strikes".

Mr. clean of Maharashtra Politics: Fadnavis has remained untainted by accusations of corruption. Fadnavis is credited with pushing the previous Congress-NCP government into a corner over the alleged irrigation scam.

Appreciated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee: When the NDA government was at the center under the leadership of Atal Bihari. At that time, Advocate Appa Saheb Ghatate, a resident of Nagpur, had told about Devendra to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Then Vajpayee also expressed his desire to meet this model MLA. After this, Fadnavis went to Delhi with Advocate Ghatate to meet the Prime Minister. After the meeting, the Prime Minister praised Devendra and said, "Wow what a smart model MLA.

Devendra Fadnavis's Political Journey:

2022: Becoming Deputy Chief Minister: On June 30, 2022, he was sworn in as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister when BJP formed the government with Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde.

His role in the Economic growth of Maharashtra : Fadnavis prioritised infrastructure expansion, urban renewal, and industrial growth during his tenure, positioning Maharashtra as a key economic hub.

2019: Three day chief Minister: On, Nov 23 Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra again after the huge political turmoil. He formed the government with the support of Ajit Pawar of Nationalist Congres Party. But just after three days he resigned.

2014: Becoming Youngest chief Minister of Maharashtra: Fadnavis was 44 years old when he became Chief Minister of Maharashtra on October 31, 2014, making him one of the state’s youngest Chief Minister.

Highlights of his first term as Chief Minsiter: Political observers describe Fadnavis as a patient listener and a "man of action" with extensive knowledge in various spheres. He is also known as a politician who is both erudite and popular with the people. His first five-year tenure was marked by several pluses -- the Maratha reservation, the Jalyukt Shivar water conservation scheme, the Nagpur-Mumbai knowledge corridor, farm loan waiver and expansion of the Metro rail network.

The Maratha quota agitation threatened the survival of his government, but Fadnavis reached out to the protesters and announced setting up of the State Backward Class Commission to get the demand for reservation in jobs and education ratified and enacted a legislation. Similarly, instead of giving the loan waiver amount to banks, he assured that the money was transferred directly into the accounts of farmers.

2013: Appointed as President of BJP: In 2013, Fadnavis was appointed as the president of the BJP in Maharashtra, a position that strengthened his political influence.

2010: Appointed as General Secretary, BJP, Maharashtra.

2009: This time Devendra Fadnavis contested from Nagpur South West and again won the assembly election. He defeated Vikas Pandurang Thakre of Congress.

2004: Fadnavis defeated Congress candidate Deshmukh Ranjeetbabu by 17,610 votes in state assembly elections from Nagpur West. 2001 He became the BJYM national Vice President.

1999: He was elected as Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Nagpur West. He registered victory against Ashok Dhawad of Congress by just 9087 votes.

1997: Becoming Second Youngest Mayor in India : At the age of 27, he became Nagpur’s youngest Mayor and India’s second-youngest Mayor in 1997.

1992: He began his political career at an early age in 1992, by becoming a corporator of Nagpur Municipal Corporation at the age of 22 and served two consecutive terms.a feat that made him a household name in Maharashtra politics.

1990: Starting his political career in the 1990s.

1986: to 1989 During college days Fadnavis was an active member of ABVP. Later, he joined BJP and got elected as corporator from Ram Nagar ward of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, thus beginning . Later, he rising to become the youngest Mayor of Nagpur only in short span of five years.

Fadvanis was a Model: Before entering politics, Fadnavis worked as a model for a clothing shop in Nagpur, and the ad campaign he was a part of was a huge success.

Acted in a music video: Both Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta appeared in a T-series music video titled ‘Mumbai River Anthem.’

Education :Because of his father’s detention during the Emergency, he declined to attend the local Indira Convent school, as it carried the name of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Instead, he went to the RSS-run Saraswati Vidyalaya for his education.

Fadnavis has a strong academic background. He is a law graduate from the Law College Nagpur. He also holds a postgraduate degree in business management and a project management diploma from DSE Berlin.

Humble beginnings: Painted walls and pasted posters: His early political engagements saw him involved in painting walls and pasting political posters, which marked his initial foray into grassroots politics.

Lost his father at an early age: Devendra lost his father when he was 17.