The Vidarbha cause was so close to his heart that during a debate on a separate state he once angrily told "chalte waha (get out of Vidarbha)" to Shiv Sena MLAs, then an ally of BJP.
Shiv Sena has been consistently opposing division of Maharashtra to create Vidarbha state.
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.
