Acharya Pawan Tripathi, Treasurer, Shri Siddhivinyak Mandir , Mumbai
In the political history of Maharashtra, Yashwantrao Chavan is credited with bringing the ceremonial ‘Mangal Kalash’ to the state after the Samyukta Maharashtra movement. Vasantrao Naik served as the longest-tenured Chief Minister. However, if anyone deserves credit for bringing widespread development to every corner of Maharashtra, it is the current Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Devendra Fadnavis has given Maharashtra an unprecedented pace of development. Today, when Tesla launches a car in India, it is Fadnavis’s photograph that is first published in celebration. Under his leadership, Maharashtra has become the top state in receiving Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Under CM Fadnavis, Maharashtra has also reached at the top in terms of the business. Projects that were stalled for decades were implemented during his tenure. For example, the Atal Setu, who connects Mumbai to Nhava Sheva, envisioned back in 1964, was approved, implemented, and inaugurated under Devendra Fadnavis’s leadership nearly six decades later.
Similarly, the Mumbai Coastal Road was conceptualized in 1950s. For decades, it remained only on paper. Questions were repeatedly raised about it in the legislature, and the government always gave detailed answers. Fadnavis laid the foundation stone for the project in his first term and also inaugurated it during his tenure.
There are two other landmark projects: the Mumbai Metro and the extention of the metro network to the city, which began as part of the Bombay Urban Town Planning 1 initiative in the 1970s. Only one phase of the Mumbai Metro had been built. However, metro corridors like Line 2A, Line 7, and Line 3, from approval to inauguration, became possible only during Fadnavis’s term. But during the period from 2019 to 2022, when CM Fadnavis was not in the power, the then Uddhav Thackeray government stalled these projects citing depot land disputes.
Once Fadnavis returned to power, these metro projects gained the momentum again. Not just in Mumbai, even the Nagpur Metro was launched during his tenure. Metro projects are ongoing in Thane and several other cities. Before he became CM, such infrastructure development was often politicized. Maharashtra’s development was treated with step-motherly concern. Regions like Vidarbha, long denied a fair share of development, began demanding separate statehood. But as soon as Fadnavis took office, he conceptualized the Samruddhi Mahamarg (Prosperity Corridor) and completed a 700 km expressway during his tenure. Now, the distance between Nagpur and Mumbai has been drastically reduced to just a few hours.
Since the inauguration of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, the two cities have come closer, both literally and symbolically. This expressway has silenced those who indulged in negative politics. It has become Maharashtra’s lifeline—and Devendra Fadnavis is its visionary. He also brought development plans to Naxal-affected regions like Gadchiroli.
During his tenure, a revolutionary transformation took place in the road infrastructure of both rural and urban regions. He placed tremendous emphasis on the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, resulting in almost every village in the state connected by road networks. The state was often severely affected by droughts. In his first term, by linking 11 thousands villages to the “Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan,” he turned the vision of water prosperity into reality, helping large parts of Maharashtra become drought-free. Under the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Samman Yojana, a major debt relief initiative, farmers were provided significant relief.
Across the country, PM Modi’s “Make in India” campaign has shown tangible results. India has become not just self-reliant in areas like mobile and automobile manufacturing but has also emerged as a major player in export sector. Similarly, CM Fadnavis strengthened the “Make in Maharashtra” initiative, which attracted major companies like Foxconn. And had it not been for Uddhav Thackeray’s brief tenure, the projects of Foxconn and Vedanta Semiconductor would have been implemented in Maharashtra itself.
Fadnavis organized summits like “Magnetic Maharashtra,” resulting in MoUs worth billions. At international forums like Davos, CM Fadnavis attracted investment for Maharashtra like a world-class CEO. During his tenure, cities like Pune, Thane, and Nagpur underwent complete transformation and were recognized as leading smart cities in the country. While providing resources to major cities like Mumbai and Pune, he also developed rural areas, raising living standards across Maharashtra.
The people of Maharashtra gave Devendra Fadnavis a clear mandate, sending a strong message: now only those who deliver development, make strategic decisions, and engage in positive politics will succeed.
Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here is solely that of the author.
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