Maha: Devendra Fadnavis's Noteworthy Political Milestones
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Mumbai, Dec 4 (NationPress) Devendra Fadnavis, who is on the brink of taking the oath as the Chief Minister on Thursday, boasts three significant milestones in Maharashtra's political landscape.
His first significant achievement is serving as the Chief Minister of the state on three occasions. Fadnavis first assumed the Chief Ministerial role in 2014, where he created a remarkable record by completing a full five-year term without interruption. He became the second Chief Minister in history, following Vasantrao Naik, who held the position for an impressive 11 years and 78 days.
Fadnavis's second term was notably brief, lasting only 72 hours, during which he took the oath of office alongside Ajit Pawar in November 2019. However, Ajit Pawar, who was then part of the united NCP, returned to his party, leading to the government's swift dissolution.
Following his unanimous election as the leader of the legislature party, Fadnavis is set to take the Chief Minister's oath for the third time.
Another remarkable aspect of his leadership is that the BJP has contested three Assembly elections under his guidance, improving its performance by securing over 100 seats in each election. In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, followed by 105 seats in 2019, and a record-breaking 132 seats in the most recent assembly elections in November 2024.
It is particularly noteworthy that although the BJP emerged as the single largest party in 2019, it found itself in the opposition after its ally, Shiv Sena, joined forces with Congress and NCP to form the government. This coalition ultimately collapsed in June 2022 when Eknath Shinde led a rebellion with 39 Shiv Sena legislators and 10 independents.
Fadnavis's third significant record is quite exceptional in the state's political history. He defied the norm where a leader who has served as the Deputy Chief Minister does not ascend to the Chief Minister's position. However, Fadnavis, who served as the Leader of the Opposition during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, made history by becoming the Chief Minister for the third time.
Historically, several leaders, including Gopinath Munde, R.R. Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Ajit Pawar, served as Deputy Chief Ministers but were unable to rise to the Chief Minister's role. Fadnavis stands out as a notable exception.
Sanjay Jog can be reached at sanjay.j@ians.in
