Future Prime Minister

We are certainly living in the “Modi Era” today, where the nation has witnessed the rise of a new leader and a new firebrand politics driven by nationalism. Narendra Modi’s approval ratings remain high, indicating his likely return to power. However, the BJP will obviously have to look at grooming younger leaders who can take up this key position in the future. Given the evolving nature of politics, a Prime Ministerial candidate will need to have great governance skills and excellent political acumen.   

While most people believe that Amit Shah is the obvious next choice for BJP, I believe they must start looking even beyond that. The calls for UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma as future PMs are getting louder, but I feel that former Maharashtra CM and current Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is the right man to lead India forward in the future. Let us take a peek at his promising rise as a leader, his political record, and how he is the perfect fit for this crucially important post.    

Rise of a visionary  

He entered politics at a very young age despite coming from a judicial background and become Nagpur’s mayor at just 27 years of age. In doing so, he became the youngest mayor of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, and the second-youngest mayor India had seen. Little did anyone know the massive political impact that he was going to make. Through sheer hard work and smart decisions, he eventually rose through party ranks through the decades and was eventually chose as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 2014 after BJP won the state elections. 

Devendra Fadnavis reimagined the future of Maharashtra after taking over as Chief Minister.  He set his eyes on making Maharashtra a $1 Trillion economy in the coming decade and set several major developmental projects in motion towards this vision. At a time when India had gotten used to policy paralysis and projects taking decades to be completed, the speed with which Fadnavis ensured the execution of these projects was simply remarkable.  

One of the biggest reasons behind the phenomenal speed and world-class quality of infrastructure built in these projects is inviting private players to participate. Fadnavis’ strong backing of these private players and his innovative approach towards development is the reason why we have metro already covering a big region of Mumbai. The city will soon have a much larger metro reach in the coming years, which will be a boon for the middle-class and the poor. Similarly, projects like Trans-Harbour Link and Coastal Road will ramp up city connectivity and cut down traffic time unlike anything we have seen. 

We must remember that Narendra Modi too had won confidence of his own party and that of the people due to the famous ‘Gujarat Model’. I think it’s safe to say that Devendra Fadnavis will have a similar rise on the back of ‘Maharashtra Model’. While Eknath Shinde is the current CM and is actively working towards project completion, it was the roadmap and vision of Devendra Fadnavis that has launched Maharashtra towards a bright future. 

Making a powerful comeback 

They say that a true test of a person is during difficult times. Despite getting deserted by his political ally Uddhav Thackeray, Devendra Fadnavis patiently observed from the opposition seat after Thackeray joined hands with NCP and Congress. The Thackeray government then halted his developmental plans, including the building of the Aarey metro car shed and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train. Such setbacks can have a negative impact on anybody’s morale, no matter how successful and experienced they are. However, anyone who understands politics knows that it is like a game of chess, where you have to have to patiently observe and wait for the right opportunity to strike.   

“मी पुन्हा येईन” – Devendra Fadnavis had promised this back in 2019; and he kept that promise! 

After sitting in the opposition for three years, Devendra Fadnavis got then Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde to execute a coup in his party and bring Shiv Sena back with BJP to form a new government. The secrecy and accuracy with which Fadnavis and Shinde executed this move completely took the Thackeray camp, as well as the NCP and Congress, by surprise.  

Despite toppling the Thackeray government, Devendra Fadnavis did not cling to the CM seat and became the Deputy CM when his party needed it. He not only delivered politically, but also showed how fiercely loyal he is towards his party. While most politicians usually leave their parties in thirst for power, Fadnavis sacrificed the CM’s seat for his party needs. I firmly believe that Bharat deserves a loyal Prime Minister like him in the future as well, as he is a man of ethics who will serve his nation well.  

However, his political mastery did not end there. He recently got Ajit Pawar to make a similar political coup against the NCP as well. People do not realise what a tremendous feat that is in itself. We all know the NCP stalwart Sharad Pawar is one of the sharpest politicians that India has ever seen. He has decades of experience in politics and has managed to topple his opposition’s governments on multiple occasions. One can just sense how brilliant Fadnavis’ political acumen is if he can checkmate a seasoned politician like Sharad Pawar and orchestrate a coup within his own party.  

My prediction on Devendra Fadnavis’ future  

Devendra Fadnavis will become the first Prime Minister of India from Maharashtra in about two decades from now, perhaps even earlier. Prime Minister Modi will continue for another term before Home Minister Amit Shah eventually takes over the baton from him. But I truly believe that after Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis is the right man to lead the country.  

Although the BJP has several worthy candidates, Devendra Fadnavis is a true political chess master and a governance expert, which makes him the perfect suitor to the modern needs and expectations of a Prime Minister. 

Disclaimer:-

This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign/hurt any religion, views, group, club, organization, company, or individual.