The sawayamsevak who would be king: Fadnavis's rise to power in Maharashtra

Working alongside RSS joint general secretary Atul Limaye, Fadnavis effectively wielded Prime Minister Modi's slogan "Ek hai to Safe Hai" across Maharashtra

Nagpur: "He might have been just six or seven years old during the Emergency," recalls Ravindra Joshi, watching his former neighbour assume Maharashtra's chief ministership for the third time. "We would see him only with his mother—he and his brother were her strength while their father was in jail."

A file photo of Devendra Fadnavis paying tribute to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, at RSS Smriti Mandir, in Nagpur.. (Devendra Fadnavis-X)

That defiant spirit showed early. Young Devendra Fadnavis, now 54, refused to continue at Indira Convent, rejecting a school named after the Prime Minister who had imprisoned his father. The decision to transfer to Saraswati Vidyalaya would mark the beginning of a political journey that has culminated in his appointment as Chief Minister of India's richest state.

"Devendra was very vocal from the beginning, like his father," says Avinash Sangwai, a senior RSS activist who watched Fadnavis rise through the ranks of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the RSS. "Even in the winter camps at Khapri, he would guide the younger swayamsevaks, showing leadership qualities well beyond his years."

From becoming Nagpur's youngest mayor at 27 to Maharashtra's second Brahmin Chief Minister, Fadnavis has navigated the state's complex political waters with remarkable composure. "He maintains a calm demeanour through defeats and setbacks," notes his longtime friend Sandip Joshi, referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and his temporary relegation to deputy chief minister under Eknath Shinde.

His political acumen was particularly evident in the recent assembly elections. Working alongside RSS joint general secretary Atul Limaye, Fadnavis effectively wielded Prime Minister Modi's slogan "Ek hai to Safe Hai" across Maharashtra. When Islamic cleric Maulana Sajjad Nomani called for a "vote jihad", Fadnavis counter-mobilised Hindu voters, framing the election as a "Dharma Yudh".

"A foodie who easily mingles with workers," as described by former Bajrang Dal president Shailesh Joglekar, Fadnavis's accessible leadership style has earned him respect across party lines. His commitment to infrastructure development, particularly the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway and Mumbai's metro expansion, has resonated with urban voters.

Prime Minister Modi's description of Fadnavis as "Nagpur's gift to the country" in 2014 has proven prescient. Despite offers to join national politics and potentially succeed JP Nadda, Fadnavis has chosen to remain focused on Maharashtra's development.

The path hasn't always been smooth. The collapse of his alliance with Uddhav Thackeray in 2019 shattered his "mee punha yein" (I will come back again) promise. Yet his resilience, coupled with a corruption-free image rare in Maharashtra politics, has enabled his return to power.

As Fadnavis prepares to take his oath, the seven-year-old who once refused to study at Indira Convent has become a pivotal figure in Indian politics. His journey from the RSS shakhas of Dharampeth to Maharashtra's top office reflects not just personal ambition, but the transformation of Indian politics itself.

"Modi called him 'mere param mitra, Devendra Fadnavis' when the results were announced," a party insider noted. "That's quite a journey from the bal swayamsevak of Khapri."