Back in the CM’s chair: The rise and rise of Maharashtra's Devendra Fadnavis

A decade ago, Devendra Fadnavis made history as Maharashtra’s first Brahmin chief minister in nearly 40 years.

Now, he has taken oath for his third term as CM. The decision was finalised at a key BJP meeting on Wednesday.

After days of speculation, the BJP leadership selected Fadnavis for the top post , a move which was supported by newly elected legislators at the meeting.

In his first comments as CM-elect, Fadnavis thanked PM Modi and said that he was honoured by the trust placed in him to lead the state for the third time.

VIDEO | #Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) was unanimously elected as party leader in BJP legislature party meeting in Mumbai. No other name was proposed.

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/8AFRj1CgLi

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 4, 2024

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The return of Devendra Fadnavis

Riding on the BJP’s record-breaking performance in the recently concluded Maharashtra elections, where the party secured 132 of 288 Assembly seats, Fadnavis has made a return as Chief Minister for a third term.

ALSO READ | Why NCP’s Ajit Pawar would prefer Devendra Fadnavis as Maharashtra CM

The BJP-led Mahayuti coalition, comprising Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, now holds a dominant 230-seat majority in the assembly. Fadnavis, the face of the BJP campaign, has been celebrating the party’s success by sharing photos with winners and pointing out his past predictions about returning to power.

Where it all began

Born into a political Brahmin family in Nagpur with ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Fadnavis began his political career early. His father, Gangadhar Fadnavis, was affiliated with the Jan Sangh.

Fadnavis joined the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during his student days.

At just 22, he became a corporator in Nagpur and was elected as the city’s youngest mayor at 27. In 1999, Fadnavis contested and won his first assembly election and has consistently retained the Nagpur South West seat since.

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As Maharashtra’s first BJP Chief Minister in 2014, Fadnavis solidified his position as a key player in the BJP and a strong force in the Mahayuti alliance.

ALSO READ | Maharashtra Assembly election results: Why Devendra Fadnavis is BJP’s man of the match

Notably, he is the only leader in Maharashtra to have served as both Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. He served as the 18th Chief Minister of the state from 31 October 2014 to 12 November 2019. At the age of 44, he became the second-youngest Chief Minister in Maharashtra’s history, following Sharad Pawar.

During the 2014 Modi wave, Fadnavis played a key role in the BJP’s aggressive campaigning for both the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections, which ultimately led to his appointment as Chief Minister. Unlike some politicians in Maharashtra, he has managed to steer clear of any allegations of corruption.

Further, Fadnavis has enjoyed strong support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who once referred to him during an election rally as “Nagpur’s gift to the country.”

#WATCH | Mumbai: After being elected as Leader of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis pays tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, at the Vidhan Bhavan complex pic.twitter.com/mQtkBGHyQa

— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2024

From CM to Deputy CM and now CM again

In 2014, Fadnavis, then the BJP’s Maharashtra president, emerged as an unexpected choice for Chief Minister, handpicked by the Modi-Shah leadership. At just 44, he was tasked with leading the BJP’s first-ever government in Maharashtra after the party secured its highest number of seats in the state at that time.

CM tenure

Devendra Fadnavis became Chief Minister for the first time in 2014, leading a BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government in Maharashtra. Initially doubted by critics, Fadnavis proved them wrong on various fronts.

A crucial achievement during his tenure was the 2018 ‘Magnetic Maharashtra’ summit, which saw investment commitments of Rs 12 lakh crore across sectors such as real estate, gems and jewellery, aerospace, and defence, according to The Indian Express.

The 2019 assembly elections marked another critical moment in his career. The BJP and Shiv Sena collectively won 161 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark. Fadnavis was reappointed as Chief Minister.

ALSO READ | How PM Modi’s ‘ek hain toh safe hain’ slogan scripted BJP’s comeback in Maharashtra

The 80-hour CM stint

After the 2019 elections, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance fractured during negotiations. Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena insisted on a pre-poll agreement for sharing the Chief Minister’s post, which ultimately led to the Sena severing its alliance with the BJP.

With the BJP holding 105 seats, Fadnavis sought an alternative alliance to retain power. He joined hands with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)’s Ajit Pawar and formed a government. Fadnavis and Pawar were sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively.

However, the government collapsed within 80 hours as Sharad Pawar convinced his nephew Ajit to rejoin the opposition. This paved the way for the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress to form the government from 2019 to 2022.

Deputy Chief Minister stint

In 2022, following the Shiv Sena split and the BJP’s return to power in Maharashtra, expectations were high for Fadnavis to reclaim the Chief Minister’s post. However, the BJP opted to appoint Eknath Shinde, leader of the newly formed Shiv Sena faction, as Chief Minister to counter Uddhav Thackeray. Fadnavis was offered the position of Deputy Chief Minister, which he accepted.

Testing times began after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the BJP’s performance in Maharashtra dipped, securing only nine seats compared to 23 in 2019. This decline contributed to the party falling short of a majority at the Centre, with Maharashtra becoming one of the key states for the BJP’s losses.

2024 landslide victory

Fadnavis’ response to the Lok Sabha results earned him praise from allies and critics alike. Determined to revive the BJP’s fortunes, he carried out an extensive state-wide campaign, holding 75 rallies across all 36 districts over five months. His efforts helped boost morale within the party, helping it secure a huge victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections.

Reports suggested that some supporters of Fadnavis were frustrated since they felt their leader had been sidelined for the Chief Minister’s post despite consistently delivering results, including the Shiv Sena split and aligning Ajit Pawar with the BJP.

According to The Indian Express, which cited BJP sources, these feelings drove his supporters to work tirelessly towards the nearly 100-seat mark. His strong ties with the RSS also played a crucial role in his comeback, News18 reported. Many senior RSS leaders, being Marathi and from Maharashtra, reportedly supported his reappointment as Chief Minister.

With inputs from agencies