From An Auto-rikswa driver to become the chief minister of Maharashtra, Eknath remained an accomplished political survivor
By D N Singh
Eknath Sambaji Shinde’s journey in politics has remained a roller-coaster ride. Negotiating through many odds Shinde got himself pitch-forked to this day to become the chief minister of Mharashtra after an hour or so of this item gets published.
Born in 1964, Feb 9, Shinde traversed through the gullies of politics from a very down to earth background of an Auto-rikshaw driver to what he is today.
An 11th standard at Mangala High School & Junior College, Thane, Shinde strode through the undulations before having a tryst with politics.
Eknath Shinde hails from the Jawali Taluka in Satara of, Maharashtra, and belongs to the Maratha community.
It remained an arduous track for Eknath before he climbed a huge height to become a member of the Legislative Assembly in 2004, 2009, 2014 and in 2019.
After which he never looked back. For his repeat feats in legislative politics, Shinde, an ardent Shiv Sena under Bala Saaheb Thackeray , became the minister of Urban Development and Works in the Uddhav Thakeray led Maha Vikash Aghadi government in 2019.
He has a record of being elected consecutively for 4 terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Shinde was introduced to politics by then Thane Shiva Sena President Anand Dighe in early 1980s.
In fact, Dighe was the man who played the Santa role in Shinde’s life when the latter went under great depression after he lost his two sons in a boat mishap in 2000.
That way, success in politics has not come to Eknath on any platter and, rather he has struggled a lot to reach here where he is today.
