At first glance, they are comrades in arms, running the state government through a unique diarchy of power. But when it comes to temperament and style of functioning, they are chalk and cheese. One is seen as a “people’s politician”: someone more comfortable among the masses than the rarefied confines of Mantralaya. The other, with command over the affairs of his party, in Maharashtra is a drawing-board strategiser who also handles the nuts and bolts of the regime, making him, according to many, the real power behind the throne.
This, in a nutshell, sums up the personalities and styles of chief minister Eknath Shinde, 58, and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, 52, whose government completes 100 days on Friday.
Though Shinde is the CM, his deputy’s grip on the steering wheel is evident. This dynamic started when Shinde was minister for public works (public undertakings) in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena coalition government of 2014-2019, led by Fadnavis.
It wasn’t an easy start back then.
In 2017, upset that his ministry was being overrun, Shinde threatened to quit. However, once he began work on Fadnavis’s pet project, the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi communication expressway, all prickliness melted. The ₹55,000-crore project of the 701 km-long access-controlled expressway that runs through 14 districts, with industrial hubs along its length, could potentially change the face of Maharashtra, and in Shinde, Fadnavis found a minister who was willing to implement his vision.
The equation between the two remained unchanged even after the BJP and Sena parted ways following the 2019 elections. Even now, despite a reversal in roles, Fadnavis enjoys a rare freedom in government.
Both Shinde and Fadnavis work long hours. Fadnavis earmarks his time for political, administrative, and party work. He spends a sizable amount of time on social media, too, officials close to him said. Shinde is more of a grassroots politician. At present, he’s busy trying to wean leaders away from the Shiv Sena to buttress his claims of representing the “real” Sena and meeting people who throng outside his official residence, obliging many with a selfie.
Indeed, the joke in the corridors of power is that Shinde probably meets more people in a day than former CM (and Shinde’s ex-boss) Uddhav Thackeray did in the two-and-a-half years of his tenure when the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was in power.
During the recent Ganeshotsav festivities, Shinde’s priorities were obvious when he went pandal-hopping. Leaders of his faction admitted that he hardly refused any requests to visit a mandal. He also drove strategy when it came to reaching out to Ganesh mandals and Navratri mandals with sponsorships. These groups, which have strong roots in the working class and local communities, perform a crucial role during the elections.
“Eknath Shinde’s priorities may be different because of the uncertainty over the fate of his faction, but he lags in administrative acumen which could damage his image as the leader in the long run. After all, the performance of any CM is judged from his command over the administration, though his performance in elections fought under him is also a parameter of success,” a senior bureaucrat who has worked closely with both politicians said.
“Fadnavis is more organised, disciplined and commands the administration without compromising on his political commitments. He is also popular and calls the shots in his party which is almost three times bigger than the Shinde camp,” he said. “He has deep knowledge of the bureaucracy and the styles of working of IAS and IPS officers. This leads to him being both respected and feared by them.”
Political storms
The first 100 days of the government have also seen the duo weather some political storms.
Opposition leaders in Maharashtra slammed the Shinde-Fadnavis government after Indian company Vedanta and Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn decided to set up a ₹1.54 lakh crore semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in Gujarat. The previous MVA government was reportedly in the final stages of talks with the conglomerate. This was followed by other high-ticket infrastructure projects, which Maharashtra was keen on procuring, going to other states. And two other big-ticket infra projects, a bulk drug park and a medical devices park, were turned down by the central government.
However, the government has also made a slew of populist decisions, such as announcing compensation package worth more than ₹4,800 crore for crops lost due to heavy downpour, loan repayment waivers for farmers, and free travel for citizens above 75 years in state transport buses.
Complementary…for now
This division of labour, as it were, seems to have worked for Shinde and Fadnavis in their new coalition government. But, as leaders from both camps admit, potential flashpoints exist between the allies.
For one, the BJP, which has conceded the CM’s chair to Shinde despite being three times the size of the Sena faction, controls crucial portfolios such as home, finance, water resources, and rural development. The Shinde camp, which is more of a loose coalition of legislators who have coalesced around him, has several aspirants for ministerial berths with too few positions to go around. Already, there are whispers that some Shiv Sena ministers who jumped ship to Shinde are unhappy at being given a “raw deal” with portfolios of less significance.
Both leaders have successfully covered up these differences, for now. “In case the differences go haywire, Fadnavis could have an upper hand not only because of his charisma but also owing to our strength in the state,” a BJP leader said, asking not to be named.
“The BJP did not support the coup to topple the MVA government to make Shinde chief minister. They did so because they wanted to run us to the ground. When they feel that this purpose is served, they may dispense with Shinde,” a Shiv Sena leader from the Uddhav camp said.
“Eventually, Shinde may have to merge his group with the BJP and Fadnavis may try his best to undercut and weaken him so that he is not a threat to his prospects. Some leaders from the Shinde camp like former legislators Vilas Tare and Amit Ghoda from Palghar have joined the BJP,” the Sena leader added.
The honeymoon period of the state government is on. They have not struck any discordant notes so far… but Eknath Shinde has not been able to assert his identity independently,” noted Hemant Desai, senior journalist and political analyst. “The government seems to be dominated by Devendra Fadnavis,” said Desai, adding there were instances where Fadnavis announced the decisions of the state cabinet before Shinde. “Shinde has been unable to make firm policy statements and is only making generic comments,” he said. “There are criticisms that Fadnavis is overshadowing Shinde in matters of governance and hence, this seems to be more of a BJP government (than a coalition between BJP and Shinde),” noted Desai.
