Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Gadchiroli.
Credit: X/@CMOMaharashtra
Mumbai: In a rare gesture of appreciation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis received a bouquet of praises on his 55th birthday by NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray - incidentally two of the bitter critics of the BJP leader.
Fadnavis, who is also state’s Home Minister and Law & Judiciary Minister, chose to spend his birthday in the once-Naxalite-affected Gadchiroli district where he launched and inaugurated several development projects.
Like several other prominent people, Pawar and Thackeray penned their observations and experiences on Fadnavis in 'Maharashtra Nayak’, a coffee table book brought out by Water Resources and Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan.
The book was released by Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on Tuesday.
“The book presents a rich and vivid portrayal of Fadnavis' multifaceted contributions to Maharashtra, India, and the global arena. It chronicles not just his political milestones but the personal values that shaped his leadership—values deeply rooted in the ethos of the RSS, instilled in him from childhood. He has started initiatives like Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan, Samruddhi Mahamarg, Right to Services Act and Aaple Sarkar grievance redressal mechanism and launched game changing projects,” the Governor said.
In his article, Pawar, a four-time CM, wrote, "The speed at which Devendra works is remarkable... Watching his dedication and energy, I often wonder - how does he never get tired? When I see Devendra Fadnavis, the way he works, I remember my days as CM of Maharashtra. On his birthday, I wish him that his zeal for work should grow every year. Usually they say an active person is slim and trim, but both of us are not but very much active.
In his observations, Thackeray, a one-time CM, wrote: “Fadnavis is a smart and honest politician, hence, he can get a big responsibility at the Centre in the future. He always keep focus on the common people and work.”
The praise of Fadnavis by Thackeray and Pawar seems interesting as the duo had held the BJP leader responsible for the splits in Shiv Sena and NCP and the toppling of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.