At the Lokmat Maharashtrian Of the Year Awards 2025, held at Raj Bhavan Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted several key points. Referring to Sharad Pawar, Fadnavis expressed certain expectations from the opposition. "For democracy to mature, it is essential that the opposition, along with the ruling party, matures as well," he stated, elaborating on his views. During the event, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was interviewed by Jayant Patil, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Patil asked, "Devendraji, Indian politics is changing rapidly. What is your opinion on the current state of Indian politics, and what role do you think Maharashtra will play in shaping the country’s future?"
In his response, Devendra Fadnavis said, "Look, what’s happening is that our democracy is maturing, and we are witnessing a new trend in Indian politics where people are voting in a decisive manner. In the 1990s, the trend was coalition governments."
"Unprecedented Opportunities for India" - Fadnavis
"In a coalition, the party at the center was often weak, which led to the coalition being poorly structured, and that caused many challenges. But that’s no longer the case. Today, decisive majorities are emerging. Sanjeev Bajajji mentioned that India has unprecedented opportunities ahead. We’re seeing opportunities in geopolitics, and we’re advancing to the next stage in technology. In such a democracy, an active role is required," said Fadnavis.
Fadnavis on the Role of the Opposition:
"There is one more crucial aspect, which is the presence of a strong opposition in a democracy. Ultimately, for democracy to mature, the opposition must be mature, just as the ruling party is," Fadnavis stated. "If prominent opposition leaders like Pawar Saheb were leading the major opposition party at the center, there might have been maturity in that. Unfortunately, however, we do not see such maturity in the opposition at the center today. Having differing opinions is fine, but that doesn’t mean everything should be opposed for the sake of opposition," Fadnavis elaborated.
The Need for Thoughtful Opposition - CM Fadnavis:
"We must consider whether, in the name of opposition, we are inadvertently falling under the influence of forces that do not want India’s progress. These invisible forces are at work, and are we unknowingly assisting them? These are the things we need to reflect upon. In today’s democracy, the most crucial requirement is a responsible opposition," Fadnavis concluded.