High time for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to deliver results

Unlike Narendra Modi in Delhi, Devendra Fadnavis lost time in forming a full government with the Shiv Sena amidst acrimony, and lost an opportunity to take off quickly. Having said that, it appears that the man who shredded with ease his predecessor government both on policy issues and their implementation, is only announcing intents.

No doubt expecting quick results is unfair, but his own party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, had wasted no time in demanding a performance audit of the Arvind Kejriwal government within weeks of their forming the government in Delhi. The BJP in Delhi did not even have the gumption to attempt forming a government despite being the single largest party.

Meanwhile in Maharashtra, Fadnavis already seems to have readied an alibi by highlighting that the state was financially bankrupt enough to have to borrow to pay its employees' salaries in the short term. The fact that this is an admission of reality does not boost the morale of the state's populace. They worry if the promises in the manifesto would even be achievable.

By now, instead of attending sundry public functions across the state, Fadnavis should have prepared an action plan to find and announce a solution to the impending crisis.

The debts were there all along, building up every year. It is but expected that he would mimic several steps taken by the Modi government such as curbing foreign travel, and setting rules on how ministers could appoint personal staff.

These steps do not indicate performance but only tokenism. Many have in fact ignored his diktat, which doesn't speak much for his authority. It would be advisable for him and his entire cabinet along with secretaries to sit for long, in-depth consultation, preferably with politically neutral experts, and come out with a clear programme and time schedule for solving the state's crisis. Having promised a dash towards development, Fadnavis, who did manage to show the Shiv Sena its place, should get off the treadmill and show he is a good runner.