Devendra Fadnavis: The second CM to run full term in Maharashtra, readies his next game plan

Mumbai, Jun 30: Uddhav Thackeray's resignation as Maharashtra chief minister on Wednesday was the culmination of Fadnavis's campaign against the MVA government effected with Terminator-like precision.

Fadnavis, who turns 52 this July, is all set to return as Maharashtra's chief minister for the third time this week.

However, political crisis is nothing new for the state of Maharashtra. Since, May 1, 1960 when the State of Bombay was split into Marathi-speaking Maharashtra and Gujarat, 26 chief ministers have been sworn in Maharashtra.

And the state has only seen two chief ministers who have completed their full 5-year-terms.

Vasantrao Naik was the first Maharashtra chief minister to have completed his term in the third Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha (assembly) during 1967-72.

The second person was Devendra Fadnavis - the man who is almost certain to be the next chief minister of the state. He had earlier served as the 18th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (CM), from 31 October 2014 to 12 November 2019. He was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

As Fadnavis took his oath on 23 November 2019. His resignation came just three days after taking the oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and one day before a floor test, in the Assembly of Maharashtra, citing the lack of a BJP majority as the reason.

Who is Devendra Fadnavis?
Born in a Marathi Hindu Brahmin family, Devendra G. Fadnavis, is a down to earth man with RSS roots who became a BJP corporator when he was barely 22.

His colleagues in the Bharatiya Janata Party have high regard for Fadnavis, who, they say, keeps his word -- a rare trait in politics -- and has a sound understanding of business matters.

A late entrant to the political arena, the 1970-born Fadnavis' rise in the BJP is considered virtually meteoric.

A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist while in school, he was with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, in college.

He learnt his first political lessons from his legislator-father, the late Gangadhar R. Fadnavis, and mother Sarita, who was a director with the Vidarbha Housing Credit Society. In 1992, at age 22, Fadnavis surprised many by getting elected as a corporator and, five years later, became the youngest mayor of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The RSS is headquartered in Nagpur.

In 1992, at age 22, Fadnavis surprised many by getting elected as a corporator and, five years later, became the youngest mayor of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The RSS is headquartered in Nagpur.

He was elected to the Maharashtra assembly for the first time in 1999. He won for a fourth time this year. Armed with a law degree and a post-graduate degree in business management, Fadnavis can speak with authority on virtually any topic - and with an analytical mind.

Fadnavis' main agenda has always been development including big investments in urban infrastructure and financial aid for irrigation projects.

No matter how many scandals occurred, Fadnavis retained his image as a clean politician. His predecessor Prithviraj Chavan of the Congress was also known as Mr Clean but was criticised of being very slow to make decisions.

Fadnavis is married to private bank manager Amruta. The couple have a teenaged daughter, Divija.