Introduction

As of June 30, 2022, Eknath Shinde, who was born on February 9, 1964, is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In addition, he leads the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and the Shiv Sena. Shinde served as Thane's MLA from 2004 to 2009 before taking office as the Kopri-Pachpakhadi MLA in 2009.

Early life 

Eknath Shinde is a Kunbi-Maratha who lives in Dare Village, Satara, Maharashtra. Later, his family relocated to Thane, where he attended school through the eleventh grade before quitting to help support them. He went back to school in 2014 and graduated from Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts. He was awarded an honorary D.Litt. by D Y Patil University on March 28, 2023.

Early political career

Entry into politics

Early in the 1980s, Eknath Shinde entered politics under Shiv Sena President Anand Dighe. In Wagle Estate, he spearheaded Shiv Sena agitation before becoming a Sakha Pramukh in 1984. He was originally elected in 1997 to serve as a corporator for Thane Municipal Corporation. Following Dighe's death in 2001, he carried on his legacy as Leader of the House in Thane. In 2002, he was chosen again to serve on the Thane Municipal Corporation.

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly & ministries

Since 2004, Eknath Shinde has been a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for four terms in a row. He has had a number of important posts, including Leader of the Opposition (2014), Public Works Minister, and Public Health Minister in the Shiv Sena, as well as the Thane district head position in 2005. He was named Maharashtra's Chief Minister in 2022.

Role in 2022 Maharashtra political crisis 

Eknath Shinde campaigned for the dissolution of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in order to realign with the BJP, claiming ideological differences as his reason for frustration with the Congress and NCP. Uddhav Thackeray came under fire from him for supporting the Congress and NCP over the Shiv Sena. The MVA coalition was upset when Shinde and other MLAs relocated to Gujarat on June 21, 2022. As a result, Thackeray resigned, Shinde was named Chief Minister, and Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP was named Deputy Chief Minister.

Chief Minister

Following the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government due to his leadership of a Shiv Sena revolt and alignment with the BJP, Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra on June 30, 2022.

Electoral performance

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction secured 7 seats, surpassing their BJP partners who managed to secure 10 seats in Maharashtra. Shinde's political standing in the state was enhanced by this achievement.

Leader of Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena leadership dispute 

A leadership conflict resulted from Eknath Shinde using the Shiv Sena name and insignia when Uddhav Thackeray had not given permission. After the matter was first contested in court, the Election Commission of India decided to acknowledge Shinde's group as the legitimate Shiv Sena. The Thackeray-led party constitution modifications from 2018 were also deemed by the Commission to be undemocratic and to centralize power.

Political legitimacy

The opposing party of Uddhav Thackeray suffered a significant loss when Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rahul Narwekar proclaimed Shinde's faction as the "real Shiv Sena" on February 4, 2024. This verdict strengthened the legitimacy of Shinde's government and his leadership.

Personal life 

Lata Shinde is the spouse of Shinde. Shinde went through a depressive phase after their children, Dipesh and Shubhada, perished in a boating accident in June 2000. He had the assistance of Anand Dighe at this period. Since 2014, Kalyan's member of parliament, orthopedic physician Shrikant Shinde, is their surviving child.

Popular culture

The lives of Anand Dighe and Eknath Shinde are portrayed in the 2022 Marathi film Dharmaveer, which was directed by Pravin Tarde. As Eknath Shinde, Kshitish Date emphasizes his function as Dighe's most devoted fan.