Following the historic mandate and emphatic victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Municipal Elections in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has not only firmly established himself as the man of the match but also as the man of the series and probably the greatest of all time, making him a role model for India’s ambitious vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

What makes his journey especially compelling is that it is not a story of entitlement. He comes from a middle-class, progressive family in Nagpur and began his political life early, learning politics as a form of public service. There is a reason his supporters often describe him with a simple mantra: “People First."

It is a phrase that can sound like a slogan — until you observe his method: preparation over posturing, execution over excuses, and measurable outcomes over rhetorical victories. His progression has been patient, grounded, and organisationally rooted. That is precisely what gives his leadership credibility: he is not a manufactured phenomenon; he is a built leader.

Fadnavis’s dedication to public service began early. By 1992, at age 22, he was elected as a corporator to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, and at 27, he became India’s second-youngest mayor. These weren’t mere titles and medals; they were platforms for action and hard work. This relentless drive propelled him into the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1999, where he won six consecutive terms from Nagpur constituencies.

Fadnavis’s mantra — “Politics is an instrument for socio-economic change" — guided his roles on committees on estimates, urban development, and reserve funds. By 2013, as BJP Maharashtra President, he orchestrated a historic turnaround, leading the party to 122 seats in the 2014........

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