Devendra Fadnavis

Devendra Gangadharrao Fadnavis (born 22 July 1970) is an Indian politician currently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra since 30 June 2022, alongside Ajit Pawar. He previously held the position of Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 31 October 2014 to 12 November 2019. From 2019 to 2022, he served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and was the President of BJP's Maharashtra state unit from 2013 to 2015. He became Chief Minister at the age of 44, making him the second-youngest in Maharashtra's history after Sharad Pawar. During the 2019 Maharashtra political crisis, he briefly held a second term as Chief Minister for 5 days before resigning on 28 November 2019. Fadnavis has been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), He has represented the Nagpur South West constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly since 2009, having previously served Nagpur West from 1999 to 2009. Additionally, he held the position of Mayor of Nagpur from 1997 to 2001.

Early life and education
Fadnavis was born in a Marathi Brahmin Hindu family in Nagpur to Gangadhar Fadnavis and Sarita Fadnavis. His father, Gangadhar Fadnavis, was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from Nagpur. His mother, Sarita Fadnavis, belonged to the Kaloti family of Amravati and had previously served as a director of the Vidarbha Housing Credit Society.

Fadnavis did his initial schooling at Indira Convent, named after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. During the Emergency, Fadnavis' father, being a member of the Jan Sangh, was imprisoned for participating in anti-government protests. Fadnavis subsequently refused to continue his schooling at Indira Convent as he did not want to attend a school named after the Prime Minister he held responsible for imprisoning his father. He was then transferred to the Saraswati Vidyalaya School, Nagpur, where he received most of his schooling. Fadnavis attended Dharampeth Junior College for his higher secondary.

Fadnavis holds a graduate degree in law from Government Law College, Nagpur University, a post-graduate degree in Business Management and a diploma in Methods and Techniques of Project Management from DSE-German Foundation for International Development, Berlin, Germany.

Political career
Fadnavis began his political career in the mid-nineties. Since that time he served in multiple leadership roles for both his political party and as an elected representative. As a college student, Fadnavis was an active member of the BJP affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and in the year 1992 at the age of 22 he became a Corporator. 5 years later, in 1997, Fadnavis at 27 became the youngest mayor of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and became the second-youngest mayor in the history of India.

Fadnavis is representing Nagpur in the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra State (Vidhan Sabha) since 1999.

Chief Minister of Maharashtra (2014 - 2019) 1st Term
Fadnavis took over as the legislative party leader by the BJP MLAs in the presence of the party's central observers, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh and the party's National General Secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda after being elected to the position. As the leader of the largest party in Maharashtra state assembly, Fadnavis was appointed as the chief minister of Maharashtra on 31 October 2014. His government won a confidence motion by voice vote on 12 November 2014 allowing it to govern.

Mumbai Next
Fadnavis launched 'Mumbai Next' on 30 January 2015, which was termed a roadmap to convert the country's financial capital into a global financial and entertainment hub. On 6 February, the Fadnavis government held a high-profile conference under the project's umbrella, which was attended by Tata Sons Ltd chairman Cyrus Mistry, Reliance Industries Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani, and other prominent business leaders.

Police digitisation project
On 15 September 2015, Fadnavis inaugurated the Maharashtra Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) in Nagpur, advancing the state's ambition to digitise its police force. Fadnavis, who was also the state home minister, stated, "The CCTNS initiative would put all police stations in the state online and paperless." After the implementation of CCTNS, Maharashtra became the country's first state to establish India's first crime-criminal tracking network (CCTNS).

Digital initiatives - launch of cyber labs and village digitisation
In 2016, under his chief ministership, Maharashtra launched several digital initiatives to mark 70th Independence Day.

Samruddhi Expressway
Under the Chief Ministership of Fadnavis, the Maharashtra Government proposed an initiative for Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Way. This infrastructure was initiated to be built as a part to boost economic development in the rural areas of Maharashtra. This Mahamarg is built to enable a safe and fast commute between Mumbai and Nagpur along with new towns planned at the intersections. The expressway will reduce the travel time to just 8 hours (present 16 hours). This expressway will be consisting of charging stations along its length for Electrical Vehicles (EV). The Samruddhi Mahamarg will open new job and employment doors in the coming years, which will bridge rural and urban gaps. The highway has now been renamed as "Hindu Hrudaysamarat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Highway" by the government on 22 December 2019, and is now planned to complete the entire work of the project by September 2022.

1% Reservation for orphans in Government jobs
In 2018, Fadnavis announced a 1% Government Reservation in the open category for orphans education and government jobs in Maharashtra. Maharashtra is the foremost state to obtain such a policy. Fadnavis had initiated this policy after an orphan Amruta Karvande, was declined a job despite clearing Maharashtra State Public Service Commission (MPSC) exam. She then met Fadnavis and shared her resentment. The 1% open category reservation quota shall apply to those children who are granted certificates of being orphans by the Juvenile Homes and the Women and Child Development department. The GR policy states that the Maharashtra Government will create a separate category within the general category which means it will not have to increase its caste reservation quota.

CM Fellowship Scheme
Fadnavis, under his chief ministership, had launched The Chief Minister Fellowship program in 2015. CM Fellowship is an 11-month long fellowship program run by the CM's office, the Government of Maharashtra. This program was launched with the aim of providing administrative experience to the youth. This initiative offers graduates and postgraduates an 11-month stint with the Maharashtra government and carries with its stipend and other perks. The eligibility criteria to apply for the Chief Minister Fellowship Program is the age between 21 and 26 years, graduation with first-class, one-year work experience, and knowledge of Marathi. This CM Fellowship Program offers an opportunity to work with Government.

Agricultural Pond
Maharashtra Government launched the 'Magel Tyala Shettale' scheme in 2016 to overcome the drought and sustainable agriculture in the state. Under this 'Magel Tyala Shettale', 108.33 per cent of the target was achieved. Fadnavis had been touring drought-prone areas in Maharashtra, meanwhile, farmers in the state had demanded to make few farms available for sustainability in agricultural production and increasing availability of irrigation through watersheds and water conservation of drylands in the state These farms have benefited the farmers during the intermittent rainy seasons.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Krishi Sanman Scheme
During the Fadnavis-led Government in 2017, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Krushi Sanman Yojana was announced by Fadnavis, where a Rs 34,022 Crore loan waiver provided relief to 89 Lakh farmers across the state of Maharashtra. This scheme also benefited crop and medium-term borrowers.

Marathwada Water Grid Project
In 2019, the Fadnavis-led Governance initiated a scheme to set up a water grid project in Marathwada to address the drought situation. The cost of the scheme was proposed at Rs 4,293 Crore. Fadnavis initiated this water grid project and lifted water from Konkan to the Godavari basin to make droughts in Marathwada "A history". The water grid and other new schemes were introduced to make Marathwada shed the tag of being a drought-prone region. The project included a plan for water grid from Israeli partners.

Automated Weather Stations
In 2016, Fadnavis during his ministership initiated to launch of Automated Weather Stations (AWS) to prevent huge losses and provide accurate weather stations for farmers in Maharashtra as early and untimely rains and hailstorms cause enormous losses to farmers. The AWS helps measure the accuracy of rain pattern, humidity & expected rainfall along with information on the best crop for farmers. Close to 2,065 such stations were planned to come up in the state on PPP (public-private partnership) models. Maharashtra State Government had collaborated with a private weather forecasting organisation under which a network of AWS was planned to launch. Initially, around 12×12 km area of each taluka was said to have one AWS each. With the capability to record important farming parameters the AWS was said to be a significant role in the life of the farmers in Maharashtra.

Allotment Of Homes To Bombay Dyeing And Srinivas Mill Workers
251 workers of Bombay Dyeing and Srinivas mills were given the keys to their allotted houses on 7 July 2023 marking the second phase of home allotment to them by Maharashtra's Chief Minister Eknathji Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis at Sahyadri Guest House, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). Out of 13,760 mill workers included in the lottery, 10,247 have received their homes so far.

The Maharashtra government has also formed a committee under the leadership of MLA Sunil Rane and MLA Kalidas Kolambakar. The committee aims to clear the issue of housing eligibility for 4,000 mill workers in the near future. 43,000 hectares of land have been identified at five locations in the Thane district to provide more homes to the mill workers.

During his tenure as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Fadnavis had exclaimed that every mill worker from Mumbai would get a home. This promise is being fulfilled steadily, as evidenced by the workers getting the keys to their houses.

Maratha Reservation Act
The Maratha Reservation Act is a legislative effort to grant reservations in government jobs and educational institutions to the Maratha community. This initiative evolved through various socio-political movements and legal deliberations over the years.

1997: Early Agitations
The demand for the Maratha reservation gained significant momentum in 1997, with major agitations organised by the Maratha Mahasangh and the Maratha Seva Sangh. These movements highlighted the Marathas' socio-economic status, stating that they were primarily Kunbis, historically associated with agrarian communities rather than belonging to upper castes.

2008-09: Political Support Former Chief Ministers such as Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh extended support to the reservation demand, lending political weight to the cause.

2009-14: Initial Proposal and Legal Challenge
Various political parties and organisations supported the demand for the Maratha reservation. The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party Democratic Front government, led by Prithviraj Chavan, approved a proposal to reserve 16% of government jobs and educational seats for Marathas and 5% for Muslims.

The Bombay High Court stayed the reservation decision on 14 November, leading to the Bharatiya Janata Party - Shiv Sena government's appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court refused to vacate the Bombay High Court's interim order in December, after which the government had to provide additional information in support of reservations.

Fadnavis laid the foundations of the Backward Class Commission in 2015, as directed by the High Court to confirm the fact that the Marathas constitute a backward community. He even assured them that quotas would be implemented as soon as the commission submitted its report.

2018: Legislative Action
The Maratha Reservation Act was framed by the BJP - Shiv Sena MahaYuti coalition government, led by the then CM Devendra Fadnavis, in 2018.

This legislation aimed to provide reservations in government jobs and educational institutions for Maratha candidates, similar to the provisions for the OBC (Other Backward Classes) community. The Maharashtra legislature passed a bill in November proposing a 16% reservation in education and government jobs for the Maratha community, recognising them as socially and educationally backward.

2021: The Supreme Court’s Decision
The Bombay High Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Maratha reservation but recommended reducing it to 12-13%, prompting appeals to the Supreme Court.

2023: Deciding the Course of Action
The Act was overturned on 5 May 2023, by the Supreme Court due to perceived legal inadequacies.

Under the leadership of then Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, the 'MahaYuti' government implemented a range of welfare initiatives for the Maratha community. A meeting was concluded on 4 September 2023, at Sahyadri Guest House, Mumbai by the Maharashtra Cabinet sub-committee to discuss the course of action regarding the topic of the Maratha Reservation. The committee was formed under the chairmanship of retired judges to conduct legal and administrative scrutiny of cases related to providing certificates of Kunbi caste to the Maratha community in Maharashtra, on 6 September 2023.

2024: Implementation of the Maratha Reservation Act
The BMC administration conducted a historical survey of 2,65,000 households in Mumbai on 23 January 2024, in order to establish the social backwardness of the Maratha community for reservation, as per the directives of the Supreme Court. On 27 January 2024, the Maharashtra government issued a notification that said that all the 'sage soyare' (blood relatives) of the Kunbis, belonging to the Maratha community, shall be given the Kunbi caste certificates upon verification. The Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed a bill on 20 February 2024, providing 10% reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs.

The Maratha Reservation and State Backward Classes Commission submitted a report affirming the community's social and educational backwardness under Article 342C as well as Article 366(26C) of the Constitution.

From 26 February 2024, the reservation laws were amended, and 10% reservation for Marathas was implemented in education and employment. An advertisement was published on 1 March 2024, announcing the recruitment of 17,000 police personnel, incorporating 10% Maratha reservation for the first time.

Mumbai Coastal Road Project
The Mumbai Coastal Road Project is a significant infrastructure initiative to improve connectivity and alleviate congestion along Mumbai's coastline. Despite being envisioned in 1967, it wasn't implemented on the ground until the BJP came to power in 2014 in Maharashtra. Under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister, the coastal road project gained momentum and its phased planning and execution started with full force.

8 May 2014 The then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the commencement of Mumbai's Coastal Road from Nariman Point to Kandivali and the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link project from Sewri to Nhava Sheva.

6 June 2015 Under Fadnavis' leadership, the Maharashtra state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dutch government to leverage the globally recognised expertise of the Netherlands in environmentally friendly land reclamation and marine infrastructure for the Coastal Road project.

8 June 2015 Efforts led by Devendra Fadnavis resulted in immediate approval from the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests for the project. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation appointed STUP Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and Ernst & Young for feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments.

30 September 2016 The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) granted final approval for the Coastal Road project in a meeting.

11 May 2017 The Coastal Road project received its ultimate approval from the Central Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. Devendra Fadnavis acknowledged the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Anil Dave in securing this approval.

17 December 2019 The Supreme Court lifted the stay on the Coastal Road project based on documents and reports submitted by the state government, allowing the project to commence.

19 September 2022 Devendra Fadnavis, after returning to power, initiated meetings to resolve pending issues regarding the completion of the Coastal Road. He acknowledged the support received from the Koli community. Fadnavis, along with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, announced the completion of 62% of the work on the Coastal Road from Princess Street to Worli, Bhuyari Marg, and the underground tunnel.

11 March 2024 On Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Balidan Din, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar jointly inaugurated the Dharamveer Swaraj Rakshak Chhatrapati Shambaji Mumbai Coastal Road.

Phase 1 The first phase stretches over 10.58 kilometres from Princess Street Flyover to the Bandra Worli Sea Link. Its construction commenced on 16 December 2018, with the foundation stone laying at Amarsons Garden in Cumbala Hill. AECOM Technology Corporation served as the appointed consultant for the project. For this phase, 111 hectares of land were acquired, facilitating the construction of two carriageways with 4 lanes each. For protection against natural elements, two sea walls, measuring 7.47 kilometres in length and 8.5 meters in height, were erected, fortified with 2 to 8-tonne boulders for revetment. Additionally, 16 floodgates were strategically installed along the route. The phase also included the construction of ten bus stations and four parking lots to enhance commuter convenience.

To address congestion at Queens Necklace and Girgaon Chowpatty, two bore tunnels totalling 2.07 kilometres were constructed, connecting Girgaon Chowpatty and Priyadarshini Park. These tunnels, situated at a depth of 14 to 72 meters below ground level, utilised the immersed tube method, for the first time in India.

Phase 2 The second phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road spans from Versova to Dahisar, with an estimated cost of around 18,000 crore rupees. Overseen by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, this phase underwent a competitive bidding process, with four contractors selected to execute the project.

Segmented into six sections, various companies including Apco Infra-Tech Pvt. Ltd., J. Kumar, NCCL, Megha Engineering Pvt. Ltd., and Larsen & Toubro have been entrusted with different segments. Encompassing a length of 20.96 kilometres, Phase 2 extends from Malad to Kandivali, featuring an underground tunnel. The segments include: Segment A: Versova to Bangur Nagar (4.5 km) Segment B: Bangur Nagar to Mindspace, Malad (1.66 km) Segments C and D: Mindspace, Malad to Charkop (each 3.66 km) Segment E: Charkop to Gorai (3.78 km) Segment F: Gorai to Dahisar (3.69 km) The phase is set to commence before the monsoon and aims for completion within four years.

Chief Minister of Maharashtra (2019 - 2019) 2nd Term
On 23 November 2019, Fadnavis formed a government with the help of Ajit Pawar of NCP; however, this government only lasted for a few days. During this short period, Fadnavis chaired a climate resilience meeting with representatives of the World Bank, restarted the Chief Minister's refund cell, and sanctioned ₹5380 crores in aid for farmers.

Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (2022-present) 1st Term
Following the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis, on 30 June 2022, Fadnavis took oath as the 9th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra with Eknath Shinde as the chief minister.

International accolades
Best Parliamentarian Award by Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (2002–03)

Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellow, by Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore (2017) - Fadnavis delivered a speech at the 57th Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellow lecture organised by the Institute of South Asian Studies and Confederation of Indian Industry. His presentation was titled 'Infrastructure-led Growth: Maharashtra – India's Engine of Development'.

His delegation also signed an MOU with the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on partnership for infrastructure development projects in Maharashtra.

Honorary Doctorate from Osaka City University, Japan (2018) - Fadnavis was the first Indian to be conferred with the same for the socio-economic development in Maharashtra. The 120-year-old university then had so far conferred its supreme honorary degree on only 10 distinguished persons in the world.

Outstanding Leadership in Development Award from Georgetown University, United States (June 2018) - Fadnavis received the which he dedicated to the people of Maharashtra.

Fadnavis, accompanied by a delegation, undertook a two-day official visit to the island country of Mauritius. He was joined by the Mauritian Prime Minister, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and the Mauritius Marathi Mandali Federation

members to inaugurate a monumental 12-feet statue of the Maratha warrior king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Moreover, an MoU was signed between the Economic Development Board (Mauritius) (EDB) and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in the presence of the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, to enhance investment and foster business prospects in both Mauritius and India.

His delegation visited the first settlement of the Marathi Community in Mauritius at the Black River Gorges as well as the Pandhurang Khestra Mandir in Cascavelle and the Ganga Talao. Fadnavis also announced a grant of 44 million Mauritius rupees for the construction of a multi-purpose hall and a scholarship benefiting 10 students.

Devendra Fadnavis, along with his delegation, went on an official tour to the Land of the Rising Sun as the Government of Japan's state guest from India.

The tour included visits to key cities of Japan including Tokyo and Kyoto. The tour spanning a period of 5 days included a series of meetings with the Governor of Wakayama Prefecture, Mr. Shuhei Kishimoto, the Vice Governor of Ishikawa Prefecture, Ms. Atsuko Nishigaki, Dr. Masafumi Mori, Special Advisor to Hon Prime Minister of Japan and key dignitaries from Government organisations of Japan including Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) as well as representatives from top companies of Japan such as Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Sony Group Corporation, Deloitte Tohmatsu Group and more.

The key purpose of the visit was to inspire enhanced bilateral cooperation and business relations between Maharashtra and Japan, the influx of foreign investment for the advancement of aspirational projects like the Mumbai Flood Mitigation Project, Versova Virar Sea Link (VVSL) Project and more.

Bharat Mata slogans in 2016
In April 2016, while addressing a rally in Nashik, Fadnavis said that, "Every Indian would have to chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and those who refuse to chant the slogan should not live in the country and instead go to Pakistan or China." Critics pointed that this was an attempt to corner the Muslims. Fadnavis later issued a clarification that this issue had nothing to do with religion.

Aurangzeb-related remarks in 2023
In June 2023, following the clashes over social media posts glorifying Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Kolhapur, Deputy CM Fadnavis remarked at a public rally that how come so many sympathizers of Aurangzeb, "Aurangzeb Ki Aulad", have surfaced in the state (Maharashtra)?". Several political analysts have criticised Fadnavis's Aurangzeb Ki Aulad (literal translation "Aurangzeb's Children") remark noting that it constituted a dog whistle to target Muslims in his state. Several Hindu groups opposed the social media posts resulting in communal clashes. Aurangzeb is a controversial figure in Maharashtra, often considered responsible for imposition discriminatory jizya tax on Hindus and demolition of many Hindu temples. Meanwhile, Fadnavis tried to clarify that he did not consider Indian Muslims as Aurangzeb's descendants and that nationalist Muslims do not see Aurangzeb as their hero.

Non-disclosure of criminal cases in 2014 poll affidavit
In September 2023, a Nagpur court acquitted Fadnavis in a case pertaining to his election affidavit in 2014. A complaint over the non-disclosure of pending FIRs in criminal cases against Fadnavis had been filed by advocate Satish Uke. Uke's contention was that such suppression of information was a violation of the Representation of People's Act. Fadnavis admitted to the non-disclosure during the court proceedings and claimed that it was an inadvertent mistake by his lawyer.

Organisational

 * Ward President, BJYM (1989)
 * Office Bearer, Nagpur (west) BJP (1990)
 * Nagpur President, BJYM (1992)
 * State Vice-president, BJYM (1994)
 * National Vice-president, BJYM (2001)
 * General Secretary, BJP, Maharashtra (2010)
 * President, BJP Maharashtra (2013)
 * In Charge, BJP Goa (2022)
 * Organisational President, Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (2021)

Electoral

 * Mayor of Nagpur – (1997 to 2001)
 * Member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly - 5 consecutive terms since 1999
 * Chief Minister of Maharashtra (2014–2019)
 * Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (1 December 2019 – 29 June 2022)
 * Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (30 June 2022 − Incumbent)

Personal life
Fadnavis is married to Amruta Fadnavis, and has one daughter, Divija Fadnavis.