 "Maharashtra Assembly election results: Why Devendra Fadnavis is BJP’s man of the match")
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance has secured an overwhelming mandate in Maharashtra, leading in 230 of the 288 Assembly seats. The saffron party itself has crossed the century mark, improving its performance since the 2019 Assembly polls.
As the BJP marks a turnaround in Maharashtra after the underwhelming performance in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, Devendra Fadnavis has emerged as man of the match. He is being considered a frontrunner for the Maharashtra Chief Minister post, with several leaders of the saffron party backing him for the top job.
Let’s take a closer look.
Who is Devendra Fadnavis?
Born on July 22, 1970, in Nagpur, Fadnavis hails from a politically active Brahmin family. At the age of only 22, he became a corporator in the Nagpur civic body.
In 1997 when he was 27, Fadnavis created history as the youngest mayor of Nagpur.
He has been involved in politics since student life. Fadnavis joined the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in 1989.
His father, the late Gangadhar Fadnavis, was a Jan Sangh and later BJP leader.
Fadnavis won his first Assembly election in 1999. There was no looking back for him after that. He successfully contested the Assembly polls four more times since then — once from Nagpur West and thrice from Nagpur South West.
He has bagged the Nagpur South West seat this time as well, winning by a margin of over 39,000 votes.
Victory Celebration! ✌️
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 23, 2024
🕔 4.45pm | 23-11-2024📍Mumbai | संध्या. ४.४५ वा. | २३-११-२०२४📍मुंबई.
🪷 Celebrations on the grand, historic victory of BJP-MahaYuti in the Vidhan Sabha Election 2024
🪷 विधानसभा निवडणूक 2024 मधील भाजपा-महायुतीच्या ऐतिहासिक महाविजयानिमित्त जल्लोष… pic.twitter.com/x2ofH3hM93
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA sharp orator, Fadnavis has played a big role in shaping the current political landscape in Maharashtra. “Devendra is Nagpur’s gift to the country,” Prime Minister Narendra Mod i had once said at an election rally.
Fadnavis served as chief minister of Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019. The BJP leader again took oath as the Maharashtra CM in November 2019, but his government, propped up by the support of Ajit Pawar, lasted only three days with the then undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader returning to his uncle Sharad Pawar.
In the run-up to the 2019 Assembly elections, Fadnavis had said, “Me punha yein (I’ll be back)”.
And he did return, but two-and-a-half years later and as Deputy Chief Minister.
‘Architect’ of Shiv Sena, NCP splits
After Uddhav Thackeray came to power in Maharashtra in an alliance with the Congress and then undivided NCP, Fadnavis, as per Indian Express, had said at a BJP function in private: “Chot dil mein lagi hai (It is my heart that has been struck). It is not so much about losing the CM post, but the manner in which the Sena betrayed us that has left us wounded. I am not sure if it can be forgiven so easily”.
Thackeray’s then undivided Shiv Sena had fought the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections in an alliance with the BJP. However, the two parties developed differences over the CM post, with Thackeray claiming an understanding with the BJP over the rotational chief ministership. This was denied by the saffron party.
Thackeray then went on to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. However, his government fell after two-and-a-half years as Eknath Shinde rebelled and split the Shiv Sena.
He and 41 of the 56 Sena MLAs joined hands with the BJP, forming government in the state in June 2022.
Fadnavis was seen as the architect behind the Sena rebellion. With this, his "revenge" was complete .
But Fadnavis was not done yet.
Last year, NCP’s Ajit Pawar, who had taken oath as Fadnavis’ deputy CM in November 2019, split his uncle Sharad Pawar’s party to join the Shinde-led government.
Fadnavis, who enjoys cordial relations with Ajit, was seen to be behind the NCP leader’s rebellion.
Will Devendra Fadnavis return as Maharashtra CM?
When the BJP picked Shinde as Maharashtra’s CM in June 2022, Fadnavis wanted to sit out of the government. However, his party’s top brass reportedly convinced him to take the role as Shinde’s deputy.
Under Fadnavis’ leadership, the BJP contested the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra. However, the Mahayuti alliance’s dismal performance came as a major setback, with the leaders of the BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena raising questions about Ajit Pawar’s inclusion in the alliance.
The saffron party bagged only nine of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, while its allies Shiv Sena and NCP were victorious in seven and one seats, respectively.
Fadnavis offered to resign as Deputy CM to focus on the party but his request was denied.
In just a few months, he turned the tide in the BJP’s favour. Now, several BJP leaders, including Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, have supported Fadnavis’ name for the Maharashtra CM post.
With the BJP’s stellar show in the Assembly polls, Fadnavis has a strong claim to the top job.
Speaking to reporters after the Mahayuti’s thumping victory, he said, “I had said earlier, I am a modern Abhimanyu. I know how to break the Chakravyuh. We have broken the Chakravyuh. I have a very small contribution to this victory. Our team has won this.”
Fadnavis also claimed there is no dispute among the Mahayuti allies over the CM post and a decision will be taken by the three parties.
While time will tell who will be the next chief minister, as nothing is certain in Maharashtra politics. But “Me punha yein” seems closer to coming true after five years.
With inputs from agencies
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