Devendra Fadnavis Ditches His Convoy, Rides a Bullet to Vidhan Bhavan to Back PM Modi’s Fuel-Saving Drive

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis traded his official convoy for a black Royal Enfield Classic motorcycle on Thursday. He rode from his Malabar Hill residence straight to Vidhan Bhavan a symbolic move in response to PM Narendra Modi’s national appeal for fuel conservation. Minister Ashish Shelar joined him as the pillion rider, and both men wore green helmets as they pulled into the premises making for visuals that quickly went viral.

A Chief Minister on Two Wheels

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made an unusual journey to Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on Thursday. Instead of arriving in his official multi-vehicle convoy, he rode a black Royal Enfield Classic motorcycle straight from his official residence, Varsha Bungalow in Malabar Hill, to Vidhan Bhavan in Nariman Point. Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar sat as pillion rider for the trip. Both leaders wore green helmets, and the moment they rolled onto the Vidhan Bhavan premises cameras went wild. The ride wasn’t just about getting from point A to point B. It carried a message.

Fadnavis arrived for the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected members of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. But the bike ride overshadowed the formal event and that seemed to be the point entirely.

Following PM Modi’s Call to the Nation

The backdrop to this ride is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal directed at ministers, officials, and citizens alike to cut down fuel consumption and reduce India’s dependence on imported petroleum. The PM urged leaders to downsize their convoys, reduce non-essential foreign tours, and encourage the public to use public transport, carpool, and adopt Swadeshi products wherever possible.

Fadnavis was among the first chief ministers to respond and he chose to do so loudly, on two wheels, through the streets of Mumbai.

Speaking to reporters after his arrival, the Chief Minister laid out exactly where Maharashtra stands on fuel conservation. “The Prime Minister has asked all of us to exercise caution in view of the global situation, and accordingly, we need to make efforts to reduce the consumption of petrol-diesel. We have all reduced the size of our convoys. Today, I came here on a bike. We are trying to figure out how to save the country’s money. Now, we will not hold big programs. Wherever we can save foreign exchange, we will make full efforts to do so in our own way,” he said.

A Series of Concrete Decisions

The bike ride was not a standalone gesture. Fadnavis announced that his government has rolled out a series of concrete measures in line with the PM’s direction on fuel conservation. All state government departments have received clear instructions to slash petrol and diesel usage and to bring down their budgetary expenditures as well.

Ministerial convoys have already been trimmed. Non-essential foreign trips stand cancelled. And big-ticket official events? Those are on hold for at least the next six months. A pre-scheduled programme in Satara will serve as the last large government gathering for now. After that, the state plans to keep public events modest and money-conscious.

Fadnavis explained why he personally chose to ride a motorcycle rather than simply issue a press statement about fuel conservation. He said that when elected representatives lead by example, ordinary citizens feel inspired to follow. A leader in a motorcade issuing statements about saving fuel he argued sends a weaker signal than a Chief Minister actually riding a motorbike through city streets.

Controversy Tags Along

Not everyone celebrated the optics. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad raised a sharp objection claiming that the Royal Enfield Classic that Fadnavis rode had an expired Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, with photos reportedly showing the PUC had lapsed as far back as January 10, 2025. She questioned whether authorities would hold the Chief Minister accountable in the same way they would any regular citizen caught riding without a valid PUC.

Gaikwad also labelled the ride a mere “photo op” pointing out that swapping a car convoy for a motorcycle convoy offers only a marginal fuel saving. She argued that if Fadnavis genuinely wanted to model sustainable commuting, he could have boarded a BEST bus instead. “How does the Chief Minister of Maharashtra swapping a car convoy with a motorbike convoy really help? A little bit of mileage difference is all?” she said. She also took a dig at the state government for allegedly neglecting Mumbai’s public bus infrastructure and pedestrian pathways.

The Bigger Picture

The Maharashtra CM’s bike ride is part of a broader, national response. Union ministers and chief ministers across India have reportedly begun downsizing their convoys and cutting back on discretionary government spending all in response to PM Modi’s call for fuel discipline amid global price volatility. The message from the top is clear those in power must walk the talk, even if that means swapping four wheels for two.

Whether the gesture registers as genuine austerity or political optics will be debated. But one thing is certain a Chief Minister riding a Bullet through Mumbai traffic made a far louder statement than any press release ever could.