When Devendra Fadnavis refused to attend school named after Indira Gandhi

Devendra Fadnavis

Devendra Fadnavis returned as the chief minister of Maharashtra after taking oath of office at a star-studded ceremony in Mumbai on Thursday.

Fadnavis, who has begun his third term in office, has had a remarkable journey from his days as a young student leader to the highest seat of power in Maharashtra.

Many stories about Fadnavis have endured over the years, from his days as a corporator in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation to his stint as an MLA.

One of the more popular stories about the Maharashtra chief minister is the one from his days as a school student during the height of Emergency in India.

Fadnavis was enrolled in the Indira Convent school in Maharashtra, which was named after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

He quit the school in protest after his father, Gangadhar Fadnavis, was imprisoned during the Emergency. Fadnavis subsquently moved to the Saraswati Vidyalaya School in Nagpur.

His decision to refuse to attend a school named after Indira Gandhi exhibited how Fadnavis was inclined towards activism and politics from a very young age.

Later, Fadnavis went on to pursue law and also earned a postgraduate degree in business management from Nagpur.

The Maharashtra CM is the only Brahmin leader after Manohar Joshi to lead the state.

A skilled administrator, Fadnavis is credited with infrastructure development during his tenure, including metro projects and the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway.