Devendra Fadnavis joins BJP front row

More than anything else, the outcome of the Maharashtra civic polls has established Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as a leader to watch in the future and someone who shall play a stellar role in the affairs of the BJP for a long time.

- PANKAJ VOHRA

Fadnavis has not only propelled his party to a grand victory in the Bri-hanmumbai Municipal Corporation poll, thus ending the 25-year-old rule of the Thackeray family in the cosmopolitan city, but has ensured that the BJP was victorious in as many as 23 out of 29 bodies.

He has also demonstrated that smaller regional parties including his Mahayuti allies amounted to nothing without the support of the BJP, and thus it his party, under his leadership, that shall set the future narrative of the state politics.

There has always been speculation in political circles regarding the shape of things within the BJP in the post Narendra Modi era. There have been many key players who are viewed as potential aspirants for the top position at some later stage. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari are considered important political figures. There should be no hesitation in stating that Fadnavis would now be a part of this extremely strong second lineup of the party, to enable the RSS to pick from, at an appropriate time.