Political and administrative milestones on the road to becoming CM
- At the age of 21, he became the youngest municipal councillor of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. He served for two consecutive terms from 1992 to 1997.
- He became the youngest mayor in Nagpur and served two consecutive terms as a mayor!
- While he was serving as the mayor of Nagpur, Devendra was elected as the first ‘Mayor-in-Council’ of Maharashtra.
- He is also the only person to be re-elected as the Mayor in the state of Maharashtra.
- In 2010, he became General Secretary, BJP, Maharashtra.
- In 2013, he was appointed President of the BJP’s Maharashtra unit by the then BJP president Rajnath Singh. Fadnavis led the party in Maharashtra during the 2014 General Elections. Presently, he represents South-West Nagpur constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
- He had been elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra State, representing Nagpur, since, 1999.
Honours bestowed on him
- Best Parliamentarian’ Award for the year 2002-2003 by the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Association.
- Best Speaker’ Award in National Inter-University Debate.
- Most Challenging Youth’ regional Award by Rotary Club.
- Best Parliamentarian’ Award in the memory of Late Pramodji Mahajan by Muktchand, Pune.
- RAJYOGI NETA’ Award by Prunavad Parivar, Nasik.
A true warrior
In India, a class of politicians enjoy spotlights due to their family background and lack connections with the masses. Devendra Fadnavis does not belong to this category. He is always in action; an activist and leader fighting for the common people, farmers, and the oppressed. His journey to power is marked with numerous agitations.
An activist for the farmers
Villages in Vidarbha used to reel under severe power cuts. The farmers would get electricity only for a few hours, risking their lives of attacks by snakes and other animals during nights.
As a young MLA, Devendra started picketing and gatecrashing the public hearings of Maharashtra State Electricity Board with his group of protestors.
His point was simple – why after producing 51% of the electricity used in the state, Vidarbha should face severe load shedding. Almost every session of the assembly had to witness fiery speeches from Devendra.
The residents of Nagpur, who have seen him grow, are familiar with his spirited agitations for political and social changes.
An activist for the Walmiki, Sudarshan, and Mahiyar Community
For a long time as an opposition MLA, Devendra took up a fight for the downtrodden and those who do not have the power or courage to stand for their own rights. Devendra stood up for the welfare of the Walmiki, Sudarshan and Makhiyar communities.
The former Government responded positively to his ‘Calling Attention Motion’ on the issue. The result was that recommendations of the Lad Committee were made applicable state-wide. A Social Security Board was established for them. This move benefitted the downtrodden communities for the entire state and not just Nagpur.
Janta Darbar
As an MLA, Devendra used to organize public meetings called ‘Janata Darbar’ to meet common people and understand their concerns and complaints. He received 544 complaints, most of which were about illegal layouts. Devendra compiled all issues and raised them in the Assembly. He had a record of each of the complaints and had followed them up religiously till the time they were resolved.
Fight against excessive fee hike by the professional colleges
Fees for professional courses were increasing every year, making it difficult for the common man to get their children enrolled. The Congress-NCP government had failed to give any direction or recourse. Devendra Fadnavis took up the issue to make a big noise that forced the Government take effective measures.
