Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: From auto rickshaw driver to CM: How Eknath Shinde rose to power

Maharashtra is set to vote on November 20 to elect its 288-member Assembly. Counting of votes will be held on November 23, a day before the current Maharashtra Assembly completes its term.

While Eknath Shinde is currently holding the state's top post, the ruling Mahayuti coalition has decided not to present the incumbent CM or anyone else as the chief minister face for the Assembly polls, according to The New Indian Express.

While it is not yet certain if Shinde will continue to remain in the CM's chair in case the ruling alliance wins the polls in Maharashtra, the saffron leader's journey to power has been an interesting one.

Eknath Shinde's early life

Born on February 9, 1964 in Satara, Shinde studied till 11th standard and began to work as an autorickshaw driver to support his family after they had shifted to Thane.

Even before entering the political forum, Shinde was highly influenced by late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and the Sena’s Thane-belt strongman Anand Dighe. Shinde, after joining the Sena in 1980s, soon became popular in the Thane-belt as he remained a key part of many agitations, including the Maharashtra-Karnataka border agitation in 1985.

Shinde's rise within Shiv Sena

Shinde's influence in the Shiv Sena began to rise after he was elected to the Thane Municipal Corporation in 1997. He also remained four-term MLA from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency in Thane.

He continued to go up the ladder and became the Leader of the Opposition when the party initially decided not to join the government in 2014. Later, with Shiv Sena becoming a part of the Maharashtra government, the Hindutva leader went on to hold the portfolios of the Public Works Department, Public Health and Family Welfare, and State Road Development Corporation.

Shinde takes CM's chair

One of the most controversial and crucial jump in his political career came when Shinde along with his followers rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena in 2022 and formed the government with the support of BJP.

This episode had witnessed a lot of drama with allegations of horse-trading and betrayal coming from the Uddhav faction. However, with the support of 40 MLAs, Shinde with top BJP leaders were successful in forming the government and the Balasaheb loyalist snatched away the CM's chair from the Thackeray scion.

(With DHNS inputs)

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.