On his website, Devendra Fadnavis describes himself as a "Chief Political Officer (CPO)." He opens with the statement: "Politics, to me, is an instrument to bring socio-economic change in the lives of people."

Born on July 22, 1970, in Nagpur, Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis comes from a politically active family. He holds a law degree from Law College, Nagpur, and has a postgraduate diploma in Business Management and a diploma in Project Management from the DSE Foundation in Germany. Fadnavis began his political career at a young age, rapidly advancing through the ranks of the BJP. Notably, he served as the president of the Maharashtra BJP from 2013 to 2014.

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Devendra Fadnavis began his political career at a young age in 1992, when he was elected as a Councilor for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, serving two consecutive terms. He holds the distinction of being the second youngest Mayor in India and the youngest Mayor of Nagpur. Additionally, he is the only person to have been reelected to the position of Mayor in Council. Fadnavis has served as Mayor of Nagpur twice. He was elected as a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) for five consecutive terms, winning his first Assembly election at the age of 29 in 1999. He represents the Nagpur South West constituency. 

In October 2014, Devendra Fadnavis became the 18th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, leading the state’s first BJP-led government. During his tenure, he concentrated on key areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, urban development, and social welfare.

After the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Devendra Fadnavis served as the Leader of the Opposition in the state legislature, maintaining a crucial role in Maharashtra's political landscape.

In 2013, the BJP appointed Devendra Fadnavis as the Maharashtra party president in preparation for the 2014 elections. Under his leadership, the BJP won 133 of the 288 seats in the state Assembly, despite contesting the polls alone due to a breakdown in the alliance with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena over seat-sharing disagreements. This was the BJP’s highest tally in the Assembly to date, leading to Fadnavis being declared the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate. Shortly after, the Shiv Sena rejoined the BJP-led ruling alliance under Chief Minister Fadnavis, which continued until 2019.