BJP Upholds 'All-Rounder' Fadnavis for Maharashtra Amidst 'Night Watchman' Strategy in Other States

Mumbai, Dec 4 (NationPress) The BJP’s central leadership chose to avoid unexpected moves by not replicating the strategies implemented in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh for selecting a new leader, thus granting approval for Devendra Fadnavis to continue as the legislature party leader and assume the role of Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Fadnavis is recognized for his clean reputation and strong administrative skills, adept at confronting the Opposition while keeping coalition partners satisfied.

In contrast to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana, where the BJP independently formed the government, in Maharashtra, the BJP will collaborate with allies Shiv Sena and NCP as it did not secure enough seats to achieve a majority.

For Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who hinted at their preferences during campaign rallies, Fadnavis emerged as the clear choice due to his qualifications and experience in managing a coalition government.

The leadership has decided against experimenting in Maharashtra, especially given its status as a politically dynamic state that is crucial for the Viksit Bharat mission.

Furthermore, the central leadership recognized Fadnavis' ability to build alliances without jeopardizing the interests of partners. Despite the underwhelming results for the BJP and MahaYuti in the Lok Sabha elections, he tirelessly worked to form an alliance while maintaining the party's dominance, securing 132 seats out of 149 contested.

The leadership chose to appoint a Brahmin as Chief Minister, steering clear of the politically significant Maratha or OBC communities, even in light of recent protests for reservations.

This decision stems from Fadnavis' prior contributions, including the Maratha reservation implemented before the 2019 state assembly elections. While the Bombay High Court upheld the reservation, it was later annulled by the Supreme Court.

Fadnavis attributed the failure to the then-undivided Shiv Sena-led government's inability to effectively advocate for the state's case.

Nevertheless, he managed to reassure both the Maratha and OBC communities by promising reservations without infringing upon their existing quotas.

Additionally, alongside BJP state-in-charge and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, he organized over 350 meetings to rally OBC support, which ultimately resulted in strong backing from the OBCs during the elections.

Fadnavis also adeptly leveraged the Supreme Court's recent ruling permitting the sub-categorization of SCs and STs for reservation purposes, successfully appealing to Hindu Dalits and various sub-castes, leading to their robust support for the BJP.

Moreover, his loyalty to the BJP was evident when he quietly joined the Eknath Shinde-led government as deputy chief minister, contributing to its effective operation.

His tenure as the opposition leader during the undivided Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government also played a significant role in his selection.

As opposition leader, he effectively challenged the Maha Vikas Aghadi government on issues of corruption, abuse of power, and the mishandling of the coronavirus crisis.

Using cricket terminology, the BJP central leadership opted for an all-rounder rather than a night watchman. Veteran BJP leader and former minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil remarked that this decision marks a historic moment in selecting Fadnavis as CM to forge a new chapter in Maharashtra.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)