BJP CHIEF MINISTER DEVENDRA FADNAVIS COMPLETES ONE MONTH WITH CONFIDENCE

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is the eagle soaring with a bird’s eye view of what’s happening to Maharashtra under his watch as also what should be happening and what should not? Fadnavis is the Chief Minister everybody is talking about as if there isn’t a better one in all of India. Also, Fadnavis is not done with leaving his stamp on things governance, he is building a rapport with whomever takes a fancy to his style of governing.

Importantly, Fadnavis has experience being Chief Minister. This is his third spell and that spells three and a half times the experience of Uddhav Thackeray, who had to step down from the top post with nothing much to brag about. Yup, Politics makes strange bedfellows. Reports say UBT and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are back to exchanging warm vibes.

At least, the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ has only good things to write about Chief Minister Fadnavis, who bumped into Uddhav Thackeray at the Maharashtra Assembly in December. Sanjay Raut, executive editor of ‘Saamana’ wrote of ‘Deva Bhau’, which is as close as one politician can get to another
ambitious ‘neta’.

So, ‘Dev Bhau’ is being feted and it wouldn’t be long before he is felicitated by Indi-Alliance components like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). Considering that Devendra Fadnavis is currently the best of the best Chief Ministers, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of the ‘Shiv Sena (Shinde)’ wouldn’t be raising Cain if Fadnavis struck a conversation with Shiv Sena (UBT). It could even be
a ‘madhur milan’, what say?

Anything is possible where the BJP is involved. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a great believer in “more the merrier”, which is why central investigative agencies like the CBI, IT Department and the Enforcement Directorate were always busy during Narendra Modi’s second prime ministerial term, busting parties and
politicians with equal zeal.

That Shiv Sena (UBT) is back to liking Fadnavis, the politician and the man, can be seen in the context of its leaders’ changing behaviour.

For example, UBT Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi was a dyed-in-the-wool left of centre Congress leader before she joined the Shiv Sena. Then, when Uddhav Thackeray went with the MVA, Chaturvedi was back to towing the Congress/Nationalist Congress Party secular line.

Now, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the driver’s seat and worthy of appreciation, Chaturvedi has gone back to being conservative rightwing. Who would have thought Chaturvedi would, with a single post on ‘X’, connect with Elon Musk, who is as far right as right can ever get?

Hell, everybody knows, from Tom & Jerry to Donald Duck that Elon Musk is the current fiery rightwing poster-boy. And who would have thought that Priyanka Chaturvedi would get hot under the collar if
somebody used “Asian” instead of “Pakistani” to label the Pakistani “grooming gangs” of Great Britain? No Congress leader ever stooped so low!

Elon Musk is impressed by Priyanka Chaturvedi. His response to Chaturvedi’s ‘X’ post was “Exactly”. The world’s richest man is a miser when it comes to words! The point being made is that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is an inspiration. Shiv Sena (UBT) politicians are taking the right turn amidst talk that it might be thinking of renewing the ‘love story’ and consummate a live-in relationship under the NDA umbrella!

How true, and how soon, only time will tell — right now it’s a soft glow feeling with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis being credited for the warm vibes. This, even as Fadnavis is “putting his stamp on the state administration as well as (the) Mantralaya.” News filtering out of ‘Mantralaya’ is that Devendra Fadnavis has set targets for departments and officials and he expects them to hit home in the first 100 days of his rule.

Officers handling vital state departments have been told to be on their toes. Red-tape has been cut short. And the Chief Minister has amended rules to bolster governance at every level of government. There is a move towards an e-cabinet system. No more paper — all governance will be papered down to digital. The
‘dashboard’ will list all “proposals, remarks and presentations.”

Speed and efficiency are at the root of the Fadnavis brand of governance. But getting through to Chief Minister Fadnavis and the state secretariat won’t be a cakewalk — flap barriers, radio frequency identification (RIFD), you name it! Only those with business to do with the Chief Minister will get access to the CMO.

Government bureaucrats and police officers have been told to work towards easing the lives of the common people. Keeping the files moving is one way to do that. Another is by providing information via the Right to Information Act — bumping petitioners and complainants from one desk to another desk, one ‘babu’ to another ‘babu’ is a big ‘Nada’

People’s problems are to be solved by the Chief Minister’s standing instructions. Fadnavis has given ‘sarkari babus’ time till April 15 to implement all his recommendations, without exception. Devendra Fadnavis is a favourite of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is a “workaholic” and Modi apparently lives on a rich mushroom diet, his secret to a glowing face. Nobody knows what Devendra Fadnavis has for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but because Fadnavis has a competitive spirit, the Maharashtra Chief Minister would not be lacking in the best food-fare.

And, just so that it sinks in, Chief Minister Fadnavis is no less a “workaholic” than the big man in 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, who says AAP, lives in veritable luxury in the lap of Lutyens Delhi. What differentiates Devendra Fadnavis is he’s more pally than ‘Casper the Friendly Ghost’ and winning friends in the Maharashtra Opposition camp is his forte as seen in Fadnavis’ “softer tone.

The Shiv Sena (UBT)’s mouthpiece, Saamana, editorial “Congratulations, Deva Bhau”, apart, ‘Deva Bhau’ also received praise from NCP (Sharad Pawar)MP Supriya Sule, who hailed Chief Minister Fadnavis for
doing a great job administering Maharashtra, stressing that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alone was doing his job to everybody’s satisfaction, especially in eliminating Naxalites in areas neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

Sule is very pleased that Devendra Fadnavis is a development-oriented Chief Minister and was ushering a
new phase of development in the state. Will such big praise lead to any change in the politics of Maharashtra? Fadnavis’ first month in office has been satisfying for the BJP and himself. He has managed
to keep his friendly adversaries, who are part of the government he heads, at bay and if he keeps going the same way, his position will only get firmer and stronger. Sanjay Raut had this to say— “Although we are in the Opposition, the praise and welcome of Fadnavis is because he has taken control… ” Add to that Sule’s praise and Fadnavis’ cup of praise is full to the brim: “There is only one person working with strength; the rest are nowhere to be seen. Only Devendra Ji is in mission mode…”