Devendra Gangadhar Fadnavis is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is currently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He became the second youngest chief minister of the state at the age of 44. He is known for his intellectual acumen and professional integrity. He was awarded the Best Parliamentarian Award by Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 2002-03.
Devendra Fadnavis was born into a Brahmin family in Nagpur, Maharashtra on 22 July, 1970. His father, Gangadhar Rao Fadnavis, was an MLC from Nagpur and a prominent name during his time. His mother Sarita Fadnavis, who comes from the famous Kaloti family of Amravati, was the Director of Vidarbha Housing Credit Society. Devendra Fadnavis did his schooling from Saraswati Vidyalaya, Shankar Nagar Chowk in his home state Nagpur. He joined Dharampeth Junior College in 1986-87 after which he completed a five -year law degree from Law College, Nagpur. Devendra married Amruta Ranade in 2006. She is the Associate Vice President, Axis Bank in Nagpur. Devendra and Amruta have a five-year-old daughter, Divija Fadnavis.
Devendra Fadnavis started his career at an RSS Shakha at Trikoni Park. He joined the Maharashtra unit of BJP as a ward President. During the years 1986 to 1989, he was an active member of ABVP and channelised the youth towards reconstruction of society.
At the young age of 21, he became the youngest municipal corporator of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. He worked for two consecutive terms from 1992 to 1997. He is also the only person to be re-elected as the Mayor in the state of Maharashtra.
He was appointed president of the BJP’s Maharashtra unit by the then BJP president Rajnath Singh overriding former president Nitin Gadkari’s suggestion to give another term to Sudhir Mungantiwar. Fadnavis led the party in Maharashtra during the 2014 General Elections
