The anointment may have taken a few days, but Devendra Fadnavis has looked like a man in command since the November 23 Maharashtra polls revealed the magnitude of the Mahayuti’s victory. The face of the BJP campaign in the state, he has been uploading photos of the stream of winners making their way to his residence, posting news reports praising his involvement, and promoting items based on prophetic words he has spoken in the past forecasting his return.
One that rapidly piqued interest was what Fadnavis stated after a government formed by him and Ajit Pawar in 2019 fell apart in 80 hours.
Fadnavis compared his slide to the rise and fall of waves, implying that it was only temporary. “I will be back, like the ocean,” Fadnavis recalled another of his predictions, claiming that he had proven himself to be like Abhimanyu, who had penetrated his rivals’ Chakravyuha.
However, his five years in power (2014-19) and the five years since attempting to stay there indicate that Fadnavis understands that the time for grand narratives has passed. Now that the chief minister’s position is definitively his, the next step of managing a three-sided coalition and its various power centers begins.
CM stint
In 2014, Fadnavis, the state BJP president at the time, was a surprise choice for Maharashtra by Modi and Shah. Having previously won its greatest number of seats in the state, 122, the BJP surpassed it this time, at 132, forming the state’s first government led by the party.
Narendra Modi, who had led the BJP to a significant victory at the Centre earlier that year, had thrown enough signals that Fadnavis was their guy. During the campaign, he called Fadnavis “Nagpur’s gift to Maharashtra”. Fadnavis’ Nagpur roots and family’s deep ties to the RSS meant there were few obstacles to his nomination.