Devendra Fadnavis: From RSS shakha to CM's Gaddi

From an obscure corporator to becoming the youngest Mayor of Nagpur, to the first BJP Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis' climb up the political ladder has been steady.

In a state dominated by Maratha politics and politicians, the 44-year-old leader, with deep roots in RSS, is only the second Brahmin after BJP's estranged ally Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi to become Chief Minister.
Fadnavis enjoys of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah. During the Lok Sabha elections, Fadnavis played a very important role in cobbling up a credible coalition that won 42 of the state's 48 Lok Sabha seats.
Despite its bitter separation with Shiv Sena just ahead of the Assembly election, BJP won 122 seats in the 288-member House, up from 46 in 2009. Fadnavis earned the appreciation of both Modi and Shah for the way he handled the election.
His father Gangadhar Fadnavis is a Jansangh old-timer and the political guru of Nitin Gadkari. Devendra cut his teeth in politics at a young age when he joined Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad in 1989. At 22, he became a corporator in the Nagpur civic body and its youngest Mayor in 1997 at the age of 27.
Fadnavis contested his first Assembly election in 1999 and won. There was no looking back for the strong proponent of a separate Vidarbha state as he won three subsequent Assembly elections. He currently represents Nagpur South West seat in the House. Unlike many leaders across the political spectrum in Maharashtra, Fadnavis has remained untainted by accusations of corruption.
Fadnavis holds a degree in law and post-graduate degree in Business Management and has written two books on economics. Interestingly, like Haryana CM Manoharlal Khattar, Fadnavis too never held any ministerial position.