Devendra Fadnavis’s political life has come full circle. He did return in 2019 following his poll campaign based on the tagline ‘Mi Punha Yein (I will be back)’, but subsequent political machinations kept him away from the chief minister’s office. True to his political self, he did not lose heart and spirit in those years. Maharashtra’s only second CM after Vasantrao Naik to complete a full term (2014-19) will be sworn in as the state’s 21st chief minister on Thursday. Fadnavis’ journey is nothing short of a potboiler.

Over the past ten years, he has been a constant feature, firstly as the CM who learned on the job how to run the government. Then came a three-day tenure in the top seat before he and his deputy Ajit Pawar quit in the winter of 2019, followed by a stint as a fiery Opposition leader in the Assembly. He played a vital role in displacing the Uddhav Thackeray government but couldn’t come back as the leader of the government that came into being later. He was reluctant but finally took on the job of Deputy CM in the Eknath Shinde regime, which officially ended a few days ago, only to be back in the saddle once again. It was a defining moment for him when BJP legislators’ deafening cheers on Wednesday endorsed him as the head of state.