Mumbai: If political pandits are to be believed, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the blue-eyed boy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is eying a space in national politics. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also gradually projecting the leader on the national scene, and recent indications suggest that Mr Fadnavis (aka Mr Clean Image) has a bright future in the power corridors of Delhi. Sensing his party’s push, Mr Fadnavis has started working steadily on the ground.
Recently, Mr Fadnavis was appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Delhi, and, though the work norms for this position has still not been finalised, sources told to The Asian Age that bridging relations across the political spectrum will be ‘hidden work’ for him. Mr Fadnavis, however, denies harbouring any ambition to enter national politics. Speaking to The Asian Age on Sunday, he said, “Prime Minister Modiji has been setting new benchmarks of responsive governance and transparency. All the BJP CMs are replicating that model in their states. We are fortunate to have the backing of Modiji as PM and Amitbhai Shah as party president. Now, the only pressure we face is to deliver, and we will achieve that.”
Mr Fadnavis’ inclusion in the group of CMs that deal with the ambitious digital payment programme of the Centre also indicates his growing stature. Chandrababu Naidu, Naveen Patnaik and Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh respectively, are other heavyweights in this group. The inclusion of the relatively junior Maharashtra CM, however, had raised many eyebrows.
It may be mentioned here that Mr Fadnavis had recently evaded a question on harbouring prime ministerial ambitions at the Powai IIT’s Mood Indigo festival. The CM had said, “The aspirations of those who wish to be PM never have been fulfilled. Take the example of Sharad Pawar or Mulayam Singh Yadav. So let me remain chief minister”.
