Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's visit to Delhi on Monday, days ahead of an anticipated Union Cabinet reshuffle, set off speculation over whether he could be inducted into the Centre.
The speculations came after Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar claimed the chief minister was headed "up to Delhi", Lokmat reported.
Speaking to reporters during his Delhi trip, Fadnavis addressed the buzz around his visit without directly confirming or denying it at first.
#Delhi : CM Devendra Fadnavis dismissed speculation about a shift to national politics, saying his Delhi visit was focused on Maharashtra's development projects. He said he would continue serving the state.
— Lokmat Times Nagpur (@LokmatTimes_ngp) August 17, 2026
#Maharashtra #DevendraFadnavis #BJP #Politics #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/EbOnUmv3yA
"Whether I come to Delhi or not, there is discussion either way. There are plenty of idle people who enjoy talking about me like this — let them enjoy it. I am in Maharashtra," Fadnavis said.
He added that the people of Maharashtra, the party's leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had entrusted him with the responsibility of the state, which he would discharge honestly, and that while many believed he should move to Delhi, he remained in Maharashtra.
Responding to Pawar's remark, Fadnavis said, "Let those who want to fly balloons and kites fly them, I will stay in Maharashtra only."
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He added that the people of Maharashtra, the party's leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had entrusted him with the responsibility of the state, which he intended to discharge honestly, and that although many believed he should move to Delhi, he remained committed to Maharashtra.
A separate post by Lokmat Times Nagpur on X described the chief minister as having dismissed speculation about a shift to national politics, noting that he framed his Delhi visit as centred on Maharashtra's development projects and reiterated his commitment to the state.
Fadnavis, who returned to the chief minister's post after the Mahayuti alliance's victory in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election, has previously served as deputy chief minister and as chief minister between 2014 and 2019.
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