In 1999, a young lawyer from Nagpur took his oath as a legislator in the Maharashtra Assembly. His unassuming frame and quiet demeanor gave no indication of the fire within — a fire that would one day reshape the political landscape of Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis, born on July 22, 1970, was not a typical politician with a mass following.

What he lacked in charisma, he made up for with a razor-sharp mind, unshakable loyalty to his party, and an unrelenting ambition.

From his days as a corporator in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation to becoming the city’s youngest Mayor in 1997, Fadnavis had already shown that he wasn’t here to merely play politics—he was here to master it.

By 1999, when he entered the State Assembly, the BJP in Maharashtra was dominated by stalwarts like Gopinath Munde, Nitin Gadkari, and Eknath Khadse. Fadnavis, a loyal RSS cadre with an academic background in law and business management, was initially viewed as a minor player — a “tail” to these political giants. But in the hushed corridors of the Assembly, his fiery speeches and methodical arguments were carving out a reputation for him as a leader with substance.

The Turning Point

The 2014 Assembly elections changed everything. Maharashtra was at a crossroads, and the BJP needed a fresh face to lead its campaign. Despite fierce competition from party veterans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah chose Fadnavis—a Brahmin in a state dominated by Maratha politics.

It was a gamble that many questioned, but Modi had seen in Fadnavis a man who worked tirelessly within the framework of the party, someone whose loyalty to the BJP and its ideology was unshakable.

Against all odds, Fadnavis led the BJP to a landslide victory in 2014, securing the Chief Minister’s chair. In his own words, Modi had been “daring enough” to entrust him with the position despite his caste not fitting into the state’s traditional social engineering.

For the next five years, Fadnavis led with a mix of strategic brilliance and political ruthlessness, consolidating power by absorbing leaders from the Congress and NCP and engineering a BJP surge across Maharashtra’s rural and urban strongholds.

Rivals Within

But Fadnavis’ rise was not without resistance, and some of his fiercest battles were fought within his own party. Eknath Khadse, a senior OBC leader and minister in Fadnavis’ cabinet, openly criticized his appointment, accusing the party of sidelining grassroots leaders.

Their rivalry escalated when Khadse was forced to resign over a land deal controversy, a scandal that many believed was orchestrated to weaken him.

Then there was Pankaja Munde, the daughter of the late Gopinath Munde. Groomed by her father’s legacy, she saw herself as the rightful heir to the Chief Minister’s chair.

However, her tenure as a minister was marred by controversies and corruption allegations, fueling speculation that Fadnavis’ political maneuvering had played a role in her downfall. When Pankaja lost her seat in the 2019 elections to her cousin Dhananjay Munde, fingers pointed squarely at Fadnavis.

The Storm of 2019

The 2019 elections tested Fadnavis like never before. The BJP, buoyed by Modi’s popularity, fought the campaign under Fadnavis’ leadership, expecting a seamless return to power. But political dynamics shifted dramatically when Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena broke away and formed a coalition with the NCP and Congress. Fadnavis, now the Leader of Opposition, plotted his revenge meticulously.

In a stunning political coup, he orchestrated a split within the Shiv Sena, toppling Thackeray’s government. But just as he seemed poised to reclaim the Chief Minister’s chair, the BJP leadership threw a curveball. Eknath Shinde, the rebel Sena leader, was made Chief Minister, leaving Fadnavis to play the role of an unwilling Deputy Chief Minister. The humiliation, however, didn’t deter him.

In 2023, Fadnavis staged yet another political earthquake by engineering a split within Sharad Pawar’s NCP, bringing Ajit Pawar into the BJP-led alliance. With his trademark calm, he declared triumphantly, “I have come back, by breaking two parties.” This was not just a statement—it was a war cry, a signal that Devendra Fadnavis was far from finished.

The Legacy of Loyalty and Power

Fadnavis’ journey is one of paradoxes. He is not a mass leader like late Gopinath Munde, but commands unwavering loyalty from his supporters. He does not come from a dominant caste but has used his Brahmin identity to consolidate support while deftly navigating Maharashtra’s complex caste dynamics. He has outlasted rivals who were born into political empires.

Through all the highs and lows, one thing remains clear: Devendra Fadnavis is a political survivor, a master strategist who thrives in chaos. On Wednesday the newly elected BJP MLAs in Maharashtra unanimously selected Devendra Fadnavis as the leader of the BJP Legislative Party, paving the way for him to assume the role of Maharashtra’s next Chief Minister.

As he continues to shape Maharashtra’s political narrative, one can’t help but wonder—what’s next for the man who refuses to be sidelined?

Related Topics