Fadnavis back as a favourite for CM's post

From the morning of that hurried, furtive and eventually ill-fated swearing-in with Ajit Pawar in November 2019, Devendra Fadnavis has been the target of a zillion memes.

- Shailesh Gaikwad

His slogan, 'Me Punha Yein' (I'll be back), after decisively losing the chief ministership to Uddhav Thackeray was similarly ridiculed.

But so much of politics is a waiting game, and Fadnavis, 54, had no option but to bide his time. On Saturday, as he led the state BJP to an exceptional win, he was the man in the spotlight. From Vinod Tawde to Pankaja Munde, fellow party leaders who have borne the brunt of Fadnavis's ambition, were there at his house to felicitate him. The BJP, on course to win 130 seats, 13 short of a simple majority on its own, has registered its best ever performance in Maharashtra. When the CLP leaders of the three Mahayuti parties meet in Mumbai on Sunday, Fadnavis is widely expected to be announced as the next chief minister of the state. Sources say that Eknath Shinde, the present incumbent, who has done well by the alliance will be deputy CM as will be Ajit Pawar with whom Fadnavis shares a good rapport.