Though Maharashtra Chief Minister-elect Devendra Fadnavis has credited the RSS for his “inspiration” and “values,” much of the moulding was done at home. His father, Gangadharrao Fadnavis, was a prominent RSS pracharak and a Jan Sangh member.
Mr. Fadnavis says his father taught him the art of building and maintaining “good relations.” “Even after his death, those relations are still intact,” he said.
Though his father was his personal idol, Mr. Fadnavis’ political idol was none other than the former BJP Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“He [Mr. Vajpayee] is a person who gave you the feeling that he wouldn’t ever do anything that was wrong.”
Mr. Fadnavis himself boasts a hard-working character, is known to stay calm in torrid times and has exceptional oratory skills — a point acknowledged by even his opponents.
Noting his contribution in the Assembly, Speaker Dilip Walse Patil had remarked that with Mr. Fadnavis becoming an MLA, the country had lost a great lawyer.
