Devendra Fadnavis’ revenge: The man who took on Thackeray and Pawar

BJP’s relentless strategist has redefined power dynamics in India’s richest state

Devendra Fadnavis is the only politician to have served both as Chief Minister and later as a downsized Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, India. It is a testament to his political hunger and giant appetite that he worked like a man possessed to secure the BJP its largest-ever tally in the Maharashtra assembly — just 13 seats shy of a majority.

Fadnavis, 54, has impeccable Sangh pedigree. His father, Gangadhar Fadnavis, was a member of the Maharashtra legislative assembly from Nagpur, while his mother, Sarita Fadnavis, was active in local politics as a director of the Vidarbha Housing Society.

Both parents introduced him to the Shakha, and he became an active member of the BJP’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The RSS grandees ensconced in Nagpur’s headquarters are inordinately fond of Fadnavis, who represents Nagpur as an MLA. They have provided the “local Brahmin boy” with counsel and even intervened in the BJP to firefight on his behalf.

A law graduate with a management degree from Germany, Fadnavis guards power zealously and has no interests outside of 24/7 politics. As Maharashtra’s most powerful BJP leader, he systematically ensured the exile of rivals he perceived as threats.

Pankaja Munde, daughter of the late Gopinath Munde, once hailed as the BJP’s biggest mass leader in Maharashtra, was sidelined. Eknath Khadse, a BJP veteran, quit the party in 2020, blaming Fadnavis for his neglect. Similarly, Poonam Mahajan, daughter of the late Pramod Mahajan, was also marginalised under his watch.

Fadnavis faced ridicule for his desperation for power when he staged a short-lived swearing-in with Ajit Pawar in November 2019, which lasted only a few hours. This misstep paved the way for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Congress-NCP government.

Fadnavis bore the brunt of the Thackeray family’s ire, being cast as the public scapegoat for the collapse of the 25-year-old BJP-Sena alliance, often called the saffron twins.

An aggressive strategy

Despite even the central BJP’s displeasure, Fadnavis stoically bided his time, nursing plans for revenge against Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. He kept only Amit Shah informed about his aggressive strategy to break the Sena and NCP.

Fadnavis reportedly met Eknath Shinde in disguise at a suburban five-star hotel in Mumbai owned by a BJP leader. These clandestine meetings became so frequent that the hotel’s presidential suite was permanently booked under the alias “Mr Singh.”

Similar covert meetings with Ajit Pawar were held at the home of a friendly industrialist in Ahmedabad, often with Shah present at decisive junctures.

Once Shinde and Pawar were on board, Fadnavis and Shah struck. The BJP returned to power in Maharashtra with new partners. However, Fadnavis had to publicly accept a demotion as Deputy CM, a move that reportedly left him angry and upset.

A call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and counsel from the RSS convinced him to accept the role, with warnings that refusing it could jeopardise future prospects in the Modi-led BJP.

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BJP’s hero number one

Fadnavis ensured he retained key portfolios and the last word in government. He worked tirelessly to remain Maharashtra’s foremost BJP leader, systematically eliminating rivals.

Raising significant resources, operating a 24/7 war room, and maintaining a gruelling schedule of public engagements, he ensured the spotlight remained firmly on him.

This time, he avoided ambitious public claims, learning from the mistakes of his 2019 campaign, where he had tried to project himself as a “mini Modi.”

Shinde and Pawar, bemused by his frenetic energy, reportedly remarked that his sharpness might cut him. Yet, the cuts were reserved for the BJP’s new allies, who were reduced to diminished roles compared to a resurgent BJP.

In a meeting with Shah in Delhi, Shinde attempted to protest that the optics of a former CM serving as Deputy did not bode well. Shah, poker-faced, pointed to Fadnavis in the room and noted, “It has already happened.

The only thing that matters in electoral politics is the brutal numbers game.” A photograph of a smiling Shah, Fadnavis with a bouquet, and a dejected Shinde eloquently foretold the power shift.

Fadnavis is widely expected to be sworn in as CM again on 5 December, with his singer wife, Amruta Fadnavis, reportedly preparing a serenade for the occasion. Even if he does not become CM, he has firmly established himself as the BJP’s hero number one in Mumbai.

Swati Chaturvedi

@bainjal

Swati Chaturvedi is an award-winning journalist and author of ‘I Am a Troll: Inside the Secret World of the BJP’s Digital Army’.