Mumbai, Sep 25 – Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave a strong nod to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership on Thursday, calling his age just a number and urging him to stay as the face of the BJP for future elections. “Modi has done a fantastic job, and under his guidance, India is moving forward strong,” Fadnavis said during an interview at the India Today conclave.
When asked about the BJP’s next national president, Fadnavis kept it straightforward. He explained that party workers don’t pick their roles—the BJP leadership does. “I’m committed to my five-year term in Maharashtra. The party will handle the president choice. Don’t sweat it; those names floating around are just media buzz,” he noted. He pointed out that even RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat left it to the BJP, and Fadnavis isn’t on the parliamentary board, so it’s not his call. He’s part of the elections committee instead.
Fadnavis also touched on his ties to the RSS, downplaying any special proximity. “Every swayamsevak is equally close to the RSS chief,” he said. He mentioned growing up in Nagpur, where he and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari served as Maharashtra leaders and RSS volunteers.
The chief minister didn’t hold back on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent appeal to India’s Gen Z to fight alleged vote theft, drawing parallels to Nepal’s protests that ousted Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. Fadnavis quipped, “Anyone who loves Nepal that much can stay there.” He added that Indian youth don’t have time for street protests. “Gen Z here thinks big—they’re building startups, diving into AI, engineering, and biotech. They’re taking over the world, not chasing Rahul Gandhi’s hopelessness. He’s got no one else to target the government.”
While recognizing the deep historical bonds between India and Nepal, Fadnavis highlighted how different the neighbors are today. “India has surged to the world’s fourth-largest economy. Our young people are innovating and leading globally,” he said.
Turning to the recent Maratha reservation protests led by activist Manoj Jarange Patil, Fadnavis said the agitation has wrapped up, but challenges like these don’t vanish overnight. “We’re working hard to support the Maratha community,” he assured. He addressed the posters and ads featuring him—using the affectionate term “Devabhau”—that popped up statewide after the protests ended. “My party put them up as a clear message of our commitment. We promised the Maratha community without taking away anyone else’s rights. Some folks got riled up, but that’s politics.”
On the broader reservation debate in Maharashtra politics, Fadnavis called it an ongoing issue for over 40 years. “Aspirations are good for any community pushing to grow. But we must balance them,” he explained. He stressed the need for a creamy layer in OBC quotas, so benefits reach those who truly need them. Citing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling allowing sub-classifications in Scheduled Castes quotas, he announced a committee is now studying it. “We’ll share details with the public soon,” Fadnavis said.
Looking at the Mahayuti government’s stability, Fadnavis was confident. “I’m in for the full five years, and so are Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. We’ll team up for the 2029 elections too,” he declared. He brushed off caste-based attacks from opponents, saying, “Caste matters only to rival leaders, not the people.” The trio, he added, knows their limits and respects boundaries, leaving room for future shifts—like Shinde or Pawar possibly becoming CM someday.
Fadnavis wrapped up by accusing some “urban naxal-type” groups tied to the INDIA bloc of spreading narratives about changing the Constitution during the Lok Sabha polls. “We couldn’t counter it fully then, but in the Vidhan Sabha elections, we hit our targets,” he said.
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