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Who is Eknath Shinde?
Eknath Shinde, who led the rebellion against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, became the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra on July 30.
Earlier, he was the Cabinet Minister of Urban Development and Public Works (Public Undertakings) in the state government.
The 58-year-old is a Member of Legislative Assembly from Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency of Thane and has been elected consecutively for 4 terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Background
Shinde hails from the Jawali taluka in Satara and belongs to the Maratha community. He used to drive an auto rickshaw to support his family in Thane. He was elected to the Thane Municipal Corporation in 1997 and tasked by the Shiv Sena to work there, which helped him build a base in the region.
Shinde was introduced to politics by then Thane Shiv Sena President Anand Dighe in early 1980 and became successor to the latter's legacy after his death in 2001. He rose through the ranks after launching a labour union for the party. His position in the Shiv Sena became stronger after Bal Thackeray's nephew Raj left the party and launched Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
According to reports, Shinde's 11-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter died by drowning during a boat ride in 2000. Shinde went into depression and was supported by Dighe at the time.
Shinde's only surviving child, Dr. 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.
Maharashtra political crisis
The crisis began on June 21 when rebel leader Shinde and several other MLAs of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition moved to Surat in BJP-governed Gujarat, throwing the coalition into a crisis. As a result, Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the post of Chief Minister and said will also resign from the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
During a joint press conference on June 30, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis announced that Shinde would be sworn in as the next Chief Minister of the state.