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Eknath Shinde is the man credited with altering the political landscape in Maharashtra. His has been a meteoric rise – from humble beginnings to being in charge of one of the most significant states of India.
Shinde did odd jobs early in his career, and came under the influence of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and party’s Thane district chief Anand Dighe during the time. He joined the Shiv Sena in the 1980s and was soon appointed as a Shakha Pramukh.
| Full Name: | Eknath Shinde (Eknath Sambhaji Shinde) |
| Born: | 9 February 1964 Dare, Maharashtra, India |
| Education: | Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik (BA in Marathi & Political Science) Mangala High School, Junior College in Thane |
| Profession: | Politician (Shiv Sena) |
| Parents: | Sambhaji Shinde (Father), Smt. — (Mother) |
| Spouse: | Lata Eknath Shinde |
| Religion: | Hindu (Maratha) |
| Children: | 1 Son – Shrikant Shinde |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements: |
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The 58-year-old was elected to the Maharashtra Assembly for four consecutive terms in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019, and has been in charge of planning major Shiv Sena gatherings.
Following his victory in 2014, Shinde, the most popular leader was chosen to represent the Shiv Sena legislative party. He later served as the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly for a short time. In the Sena-BJP government, he was appointed PWD minister. On 30th June 2022, Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Early Life:
Born on 9 February 1964 in Satara, Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde hails from a Maratha family. His family moved to Thane for a better life.
Education:
Eknath Shinde completed his 11th from Mangala High School & Junior College in Thane, but was not able to study further due to financial strain. After a long gap of almost 20 years, he graduated from Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marathi & Political Science.
Early Career:
Eknath Shinde started working early to support his family, and even drove an autorickshaw in his difficult days. After getting married, and with the encouragement and support of his wife Lata, he became a labour leader at Wagle Industrial Estate in Thane.
Family:
Shinde married Lata, a strong and intelligent woman who has stood by him through thick and thin. They had 3 children, a son named Shrikant, another son named Deepesh and a daughter named Shubhada. In a tragic accident in 2000 while they were on a holiday, the Shinde family lost the younger children Deepesh and Shubhada when they drowned in a lake as their boat capsized. Their surviving son Shrikant is an Orthopaedic Surgeon and an elected Lok Sabha member from the Kalyan constituency since 2014. Shrikant married Vrushali in 2016 and they have one child Rudransh.
On 2 June 2000, their son Dipesh (aged 11) and daughter Shubhada (aged 7) went boating in a lake near their native village in Maharashtra. The boat overturned and both the children died by drowning. Shinde went into a period of depression for several months. Anand Dighe provided emotional support to Shinde and entrusted him with greater responsibility in order to keep his mind occupied and away from depression.
Their surviving child, Shrikant Shinde, is an orthopaedic surgeon who has also been the elected Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha from the Kalyan constituency since 2014 (re-elected in 2019).
Public Service:
Pre Politics:
Since his youth days, Shinde was inspired by the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. He entered politics in the 1980s when he joined Shiv Sena as a Sainik, introduced by Anand Dighe, his mentor and a senior leader in the party. Shinde, under Dighe’s leadership, emerged as a street-smart leader and problem solver. He participated in various agitations, including the Maharashtra-Karnataka border agitation when he was arrested and imprisoned for 40 days.
His rise surprised many because of his enthusiasm, dedication, and preparedness to convert a crisis into an opportunity. Dighe was impressed by Shinde’s work and brought him into electoral politics by giving him a party ticket in 1997.
Political Career:
His first key political position was as a corporator of Thane Municipal Corporation in 1997. In 2004 he was first elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and was appointed the Shiv Sena Thane Head in 2005. He continued his position as an MLA for 4 consecutive terms, serving as Minister of Public Works, Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare, Minister of Urban Development and Public Works, and Minister of Home Affairs.
Eknath Shinde is a true Shiv Sainik who was distraught by the unnatural political alliance that Shiv Sena sought in Maharashtra. Shinde successfully re-established alliance with BJP and was sworn in as the 20th Chief Minister, with Bharatiya Janata Party’s Devendra Fadnavis as the Deputy Chief Minister.
In 2022, he was the one of the most searched politicians on Google. He was awarded Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year award in 2022 to commemorate and salute his phenomenal work over the years. His journey has been a testament to the excellent impact that he has had in promoting Maharashtra on a national and global scale.
