Why Devendra Fadnavis Is Very Important To BJP’s Central Leadership?

By Sushil Kutty

Devendra Fadnavis as Maharashtra Chief Minister for a third term underscores the man’s importance to the Bharatiya Janata Party. But why is Fadnavis a greater pick than several others who could have staked claim for the top post? The answer must lie in the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very, very pleased Fadnavis got his due. In 2019, Fadnavis had agreed to play second fiddle to Eknath Shinde for the BJP’s sake and here was Shinde refusing to let go till the last few hours left.

It was Fadnavis’ composure versus Shinde’s suppressed impatience. Shinde gave Fadnavis’s image a shine-over! Lent Fadnavis a halo. Of sacrifice. Of political maturity. Shinde cannot be faulted for ambition but Fadnavis’ calm confidence set him apart. Fadnavis had done a favour to the BJP, not to Eknath Shinde. Since then, Fadnavis was marked for renewed glory!

In his reflective moments, Shinde will deign to admit he could have played his cards better. Shinde thought he was irreplaceable but he forgot that the Mahayuti wouldn’t have folded like a pack of cards without him at the helm. Besides, Shinde also did not correctly gauge the admiration Fadnavis enjoys.

Soon after Fadnavis was crowned Maharashtra Chief Minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was heard saying, “Narendra in Delhi, Devendra in Mumbai!” So, what separates Devendra Fadnavis from Shinde?

Is it his rise from RSS ‘shakhas’ in Nagpur to Chief Minister of Maharashtra? Fadnavis is focused and there’s a drive in him which has taken him places, very high places. At 22, he was a corporator in Nagpur. His “strategic genius” and “leadership”, even at that young age, is a thing of lore. He reads politics like the astrologer the palm. Coming to a conclusion on what the future holds is his specialty!

For, more often than not, Fadnavis’ guesses come true. Fadnavis is a trained lawyer; armed with excellent debating skills and he took to politics like to the manor born. He won six consecutive elections from the Nagpur South West assembly constituency. And because he guarantees victories in India’s richest state, he is priceless for the BJP.

At his coronation the other day at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, the Maximum City’s ‘Who’s Who’ were in attendance except the Opposition’s ‘Who’s Who’, which should explain why Devendra Fadnavis brings out the best and worst in people! Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is a very formidable foe, he doesn’t forget. As a schoolboy, he quit ‘Indira Convent’ because Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had put his father in jail.

At 27, Devendra Fadnavis was ‘Nagpur Mayor’. He was also the second Brahmin to become Chief Minister after the Shiv Sena’s Manohar Joshi. And Brahmins have guile and guts, both. The election campaign for the 2024 assembly elections saw Fadnavis play both the guile and guts card. At 54, Fadnavis is a both present and future investment for the BJP.

And the RSS has nothing against Fadnavis. If anything, Fadnavis is steeped in RSS lore. In the election campaign just gone by, Fadnavis tore into the Opposition’s perceived Muslim appeasement with ‘Dharma Yudh’ on his tongue at every turn of the phrase. Fadnavis made full use of the sentiment brought to Maharashtra from Uttar Pradesh by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, whose slogan ‘Batenge toh katenge’ paved the way for Fadnavis’ ‘Dharma Yudh’.

During the campaign, Fadnavis made polarization his trump card, a tactic which made him a key factor for the Bharatiya Janata Party. And Devendra Fadnavis got into the ‘Hindu first’ mode long before Prime Minister Narendra Modi made ‘Ek Hai toh Safe Hai’, now the ‘mool-mantra’ for BJP rank and file.

Devendra Fadnavis also has the knack to recognize the ‘enemy’ quicker than most others. Like going for Maulana Sajjad Nomani’s jugular even before ‘vote jihad’ slipped out of the Maulana’s lips. This apart, Fadnavis has a “very approachable style of leadership”, say people who have interacted with him. And he has a finger on the Maharashtra voter’s pulse, knows their concerns and plays to their likes and dislikes. Fadnavis has dealt with Maratha reservation and other contentious issues with flair and without favour.

The Nagpur-born politician is said to be the one who “initiated police reforms and who exposed the irrigation scam.” In fact, like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Modi also comes with corruption-free credentials. So, every time ‘Adani’ is thrown Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s way, there will always be Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to lift sagging spirits.

Among the anecdotes that follow Devendra Fadnavis is the “Mi Punha Ye-in (I will be back)” at the end of his tenure in the year 2019, just like Arnold Schwarrzneger’s dialogue in the iconic ‘Terminator’. It produced laughter, but the ‘Abhimanyu’ did come back! Point is, the BJP values comebacks and Devendra Fadnavis is its latest ‘Comeback Kid’.

Like somebody said, “Fadnavis’ political journey has been nothing short of remarkable.” Devendra Fadnavis is a born politician, a throwback to the ‘Peshwas’. Incorruptible, articulate, armed with both guts and guile, an irreconcilable foe, and confident like only somebody who has gone from being Chief Minister to Deputy Chief Minister and back to Chief Minister again! A role model for both Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.

The BJP values Devendra Fadnavis for the glow of content he brings to the party right at its core; of good governance and the political victories he ensures when the party is down and out. Fadnavis’ “resilience, adaptability and strategic insight” are all valued; as is also his “ability to adapt and willingness to begin all over again, again and again. Devendra Fadnavis gives BJP the hope that rebirth is not empty talk! Didn’t he return again, again and again? (IPA Service)