Quick Facts
Biography
Eknath Sambhaji Shinde (Marathi: एकनाथ संभाजी शिंदे) is a Maharashtra State Government Cabinet Minister - PWD (MSRDC, Public Undertaking) from Government Of Maharashtra and current Member of Legislative Assembly from Kopri-Pachpakhadi (Vidhan Sabha constituency) of Thane, Maharashtra, India as a member of Shiv Sena. He has been elected consecutively for 3 terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for 2004, 2009 & 2014.
Early life and career
Eknath Shinde hails from the mountainous Jawali taluka in Satara, Maharashtra. After coming to Thane city, he studied till 11th standard., from Mangala High School & Junior College, Thane and then started his early career as an Auto rickshaw driver. He is a resident of Thane's Wagle estate area.
Political career
Eknath Shinde is a disciple of the late Anand Dighe, the Sena strongman who built the party in Thane district and enjoys a talismanic appeal over the party faithful even today. He even sports a beard similar to his mentor - Anand Dighe.
Eknath Shinde was a two-term corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation, and was a member of the powerful standing committee for three years and the leader of the house for four years.
- In 2004, Shinde was elected to the legislative assembly from Thane.
- In 2009, he contested and won from the Kopri-Panchpakhadi segment after the delimitation exercise.
- In 2014, he was re-elected to the lower house of the legislature, with a sterling mandate of over one lakh votes from the Kopri-Panchpakhadi assembly constituency.
On 5th Dec 2014 Sri Eknath Shinde tendered his resignation from the post of leader of opposition and took charge as the Cabnet Minister of Public works Department after the Shiv Sena B.J.P. allied as the Sena had been out of power for 15 years and allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra and entered the ruling coalition.
Family
His son Dr Shrikant Shinde, an orthopaedic surgeon got elected as a Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha from the Kalyan constituency defeating the NCP's Anand Paranjape, who had defected from the Shiv Sena and Raju Patil of the MNS.