Devendra Fadnavis: Maharashtra's Own Game Changer

The immortal bard of English literature William Shakespeare once wrote “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

It goes without saying that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Gangadharrao Fadnavis belongs to that rare breed of men who achieve greatness with their own merit. His journey from being the youngest mayor of Nagpur to becoming the Deputy CM is truly inspiring in every sense. He is a leader who can be truly called the man of the masses whose political journey is a narrative in resilience, reform and visionary governance.

With several accomplishments up his sleeve, this man for all seasons was born on July 22, 1970, in Nagpur, the famed ‘Orange City’ of Maharashtra. He assumed office as the 18th Chief Minister of the state on October 31, 2014, serving until November 12, 2019. Additionally, he held the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly from 2019 to 2022, and previously served as the President of the BJP state unit from 2013 to 2015.

Notably, he became Chief Minister at the age of 44, making him the second-youngest to hold the position in Maharashtra's history, after Sharad Pawar. His tenure as Chief Minister also included a brief second term during the 2019 political crisis, spanning five days before his resignation on November 28. As a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, his contributions have not only shaped the contours of Maharashtra's politics but also its developmental trajectory.

Early Life and Formative Years