Though Fadnavis, with his RSS roots and backing of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, was a clear frontrunner for the coveted post ever since BJP emerged as the single largest party in the state for the first time, several seniors had thrown their hat into the ring.
However, the BJP national leadership ensured that all came on board to back the fourth-term MlA from Nagpur, who has a clean public image.
Khadse, party's powerful leader in North Maharashtra, who had demanded that somebody from the region be made CM, Mungantiwar, who had pitched for Union Minister and former BJP president Nitin Gadkari for the post, and Pankaja Munde, daughter of influential OBC leader late Gopinath Munde, all proposed or seconded name of Fadnavis for the top job.
In a state dominated by Maratha politics and politicians, Fadnavis is only the second Brahmin after BJP's estranged ally Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi to become Chief Minister.
Fadnavis, whom Modi had described as "Nagpur's gift to the country" at an election rally, had headed BJP in the state when it posted most impressive performances in both lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
Together with Shiv Sena and Swabhimani Shetkari Paksha, the saffron alliance had won 42 of the state's 48 lok Sabha seats. BJP had clinched 23 seats, while Sena won 18.
Despite its bitter separation from Sena just ahead of the Assembly election, BJP won 122 seats in the 288-member House, up from 46 in 2009, and emerged as the largest party. Fadnavis earned the appreciation of both Modi and Shah for the way he handled the election.
With no formal talks having started yet with estranged former ally Shiv Sena, which has expressed the desire to be part of a BJP-led coalition government, Fadnavis is likely to be sworn in along with a small Cabinet.
Sharad Pawar's NCP with 41 MlAs has already offered crucial outside support to BJP in government formation and said it will abstain from voting if the new government has to face a trust vote to prove its majority.
Even in the event of 63-member Sena deciding to occupy opposition space with Congress, which has 42 MlAs, the new government will have no difficulty sailing through.
BJP's strength in the House has come down by one after the death of its MlA from Mukhed Govind Rathod, but has the claimed support of all seven independents and those from some smaller parties. BJP's pre-poll ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha has one MlA.
Back channel talks were, however, said to be continuing with Shiv Sena, which may join the government at a later stage when the ministry is expanded after issues get sorted out.
Sena spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut once again tried to reach out to BJP, saying, "The blood group of BJP and Shiv Sena is the same. We have not placed any pre-condition for joining hands."
BJP central and state leadership have been insisting on Sena joining a coalition government "unconditionally" after the latter was reported to have demanded Deputy CM's post and some key portfolios.
