However, Fadnavis toned down his pro-Vidarbha rhetoric during the assembly poll campaign when BJP was accused by Sena of contemplating splitting the state if voted to power, saying though the party favoured smaller states for administrative efficiency, creation of new states was within the purview of the Centre.
Fadnavis holds a degree in law and post-graduate degree in business management and has written two books on economics.
Unlike some of those whose names were doing the rounds for chief ministership like leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly Eknath Khadse and former state BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar, Fadnavis never held any ministerial position.
Amid the jockeying for the top post, Fadnavis' detractors had highlighted lack of administrative experience in order to edge him out of the race.
However, armed with a clean public image and solid backing from Modi-Shah combine, the young leader from Nagpur, from where RSS runs its writ over the larger saffron family, cleared all hurdles to emerge the winner.
