Eknath Shinde becomes Maharashtra CM: Know how former auto driver became top Shiv Sena rebel fighter

In an unprecedented turn of events in the political scene of Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde took the oath as the new chief minister of the state just a day after former CM Uddhav Thackeray rendered his resignation from the post.

Though it was assumed that Shinde will be a prominent part of the new Maharashtra cabinet, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was speculated to be the new CM of the state after the recent rebellion staged by a vast majority of Sena MLAs.

Eknath Shinde came into the spotlight after he staged a rebellion, supported by the majority of the Shiv Sena MLAs, against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra, which eventually led to the crumbling of the state government altogether.

The Shiv Sena leader, who once used to drive an auto-rickshaw, rose to the top of the food chain in Maharashtra and eventually became the CM today, a move that not a lot of people expected.

The 58-year-old leader who hails from western Maharashtra's Satara district shifted to Thane, a Sena bastion adjacent to Mumbai, in his young days and started his political career in the same city. He is a four-time MLA, who held several significant portfolios in the Maharashtra cabinet led by Uddhav Thackeray.

Born on February 9, 1964, Shinde dropped out of college before completing graduation. After moving to Thane, he soon found his calling as one among thousands of Shiv Sena cadres who were ever-ready to hit the streets at the command of Bal Thackeray. 

Shinde has not been one to shy away from his humble roots, in fact, he has always mentioned the struggles of his life on a public front, and expressed his gratitude to Shiv Sena and Balasaheb Thackeray for his prominent political career.

Being a noted Shiv Sena street-fighter, Shinde has also faced many criminal charges during his stint as a politician. These charges include ‘voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons’ and rioting, registered during various party agitations. 

Over the years, Shinde has built his reputation as one of the more accessible and on-ground Shiv Sena leaders, known to be always accessible to party workers and colleagues, and visits the homes of ordinary party workers often.

Though Eknath Shinde has managed to take away the Chief Minister post and the majority of MLAs from Uddhav Thackeray, it is expected that his next challenge will be pacifying the Sena loyalists, who still remain inclined towards the Thackeray family.

(With PTI inputs)

READ | Udaipur tailor murder: NIA suspects role of ‘terror gang, not terror outfit’ in beheading incident