Eknath Shinde Age, Caste, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Eknath Shinde

• After rebelling against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, an Indian politician, assumed office as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 30 June 2022.

• In 2014, Dr Shrikant Shinde, the son of Eknath Shinde, emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha elections, securing a seat as a Member of Parliament representing the Kalyan constituency. His opponent, Anand Paranjape from the NCP, was defeated by Dr Shrikant Shinde. Notably, Dr Shrikant Shinde is a proficient orthopaedic surgeon.

• After abandoning his formal education, he took up driving an autorickshaw to support his family. During the 1980s, while working various jobs, he had the opportunity to meet Bal Thackeray, the leader of Shivsena, and Anand Dighe, the Thane District Chief of Shivsena. They both played a pivotal role in helping him become a member of Shivsena. [5] In the image, Anand Dighe can be seen alongside Eknath Shinde, while Balasaheb Thackeray is pictured alongside Eknath Shinde.

• In 2014, Eknath Shinde, a young politician, continued his education after joining the BJP-Shivsena government as a minister. He successfully completed his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Marathi and Politics from Vashvantrao Chavan Open University in Maharashtra, achieving excellent results.

• Eknath Shinde became influenced by Balasaheb Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena, and Anand Dighe, the Thane district president, during the 1970s and 80s. After joining Shiv Sena, he was appointed as the Shakha Pramukh of Kisan Nagar in 1980. He actively participated in various political and social movements led by his party, addressing issues like inflation, black marketing, and hoarding of essential commodities, such as palm oil. In 1985, Shinde took part in the Maharashtra-Karnataka Border agitation, which led to his detention by the Maharashtra police in Bellary jail for more than 40 days.

• He ran for the position of Corporater in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) elections in 1997 and emerged victorious. Between 2001 and 2004, he held the esteemed position of Leader of the house in TMC.

• Following the unexpected demise of Anand Dighe, the Thane district chief of Shiv Sena in 2001, he was swiftly appointed as his successor in order to salvage the party’s position in the district. He assumed the role of chief in the Thane district, where his leadership and guidance resulted in Shiv Sena gaining control over various governing bodies including the Thane Municipal Corporation, Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation, Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation, Ambernath Municipal Council, and Badlapur Municipal Council.

• On June 2, 2000, Eknath Shinde took a trip to Satara with his two children, 11-year-old Dipesh and 7-year-old Shubhada. Tragically, during a boat ride in Satara, both Dipesh and Shubhada accidentally drowned and lost their lives instantly. They were the beloved children of Eknath Shinde.

• In 2004, he ran for and won the Assembly Elections in the Thane Assembly Constituency, securing a significant majority of votes under the guidance of Balasaheb Thackeray. The following year, Shiv Sena appointed him as the Thane District Head. He continued his winning streak in the subsequent assembly elections of 2009, 2014, and 2019. After the 2014 assembly elections, he was chosen as the leader of the legislative party of Shiv Sena and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly. In January 2019, he was given the role of Minister for Public Works Department (Public Undertakings), along with additional responsibility for the Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

• Between 2004 and 2014, Shinde served as the leader of the Opposition party and consistently addressed various state concerns. These included the implementation of the Cluster Development scheme for deteriorating illegal structures in Thane and MMR, the development of Thane Metro and a new extended Thane Station between Thane and Mulund. Additionally, he highlighted issues such as water scarcity, coastal security, modernization of the police force, inflation, and the growing state debt. Shinde frequently delivered speeches on these matters during his political rallies.

• In 2013, during the Bakrid festival, Muslims were granted permission to pray at Durgadi Fort, which had been traditionally used by Hindus for their rituals for many years. This resulted in a conflict between Hindus and Muslims, preventing Hindus from worshiping at the fort on that day. The Shiv Sena opposed this incident and organized a protest, leading to the arrest of 177 leaders, including Eknath Shinde. Consequently, Eknath Shinde was detained by the police in 2013.

• Under the guidance and support of Shinde, the projects known as Cluster Development and Thane Metro were given the green light in Thane city. Shinde consistently raises awareness and supports the cause of rehabilitating hundreds of thousands of residents who were forcibly evicted from their homes as a result of the unlawful construction of buildings in Thane.

• Eknath Shinde was appointed as the Minister of Public Works and chairman of the Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC) in December 2019, after the Shivsena joined forces with the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

• MSRDC was established in 1996 with the aim of boosting road development in Maharashtra through the Mumbai-Pune Expressway project. This initiative led to the construction of the first expressway of the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway, two flyovers in Mumbai, and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.<br><br>However, in 1999, the Congress-NCP led government came into power, and due to political reasons, this project was neglected. Fortunately, Eknath Shinde took charge of the department and made a promise to revive MSRDC. Over the next five years, Shinde successfully completed numerous significant projects under his leadership.<br><br>These projects included the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway (Samrudhhi Highway), the capacity extension of the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway, the construction of a third bridge on Thane Bay at Vashi, the Bandra-Versova Sea Link, the six-laning and concretization of roads, the construction of 27 railway flyovers in Vidarbha, the Thane-Borivli Subway, the Versova-Virar Sea-Link, and the advanced routes from Gaymukh to Fountain hotel and Ghodbundar.<br><br>Thanks to Shinde’s efforts, these projects were successfully completed, bringing about significant improvements in the state’s road infrastructure.

• Shinde implemented various important initiatives during his time as a corporator at Thane Municipal Corporation to address the issue of accidents on the Mumbai-Pune speeding route. These initiatives encompassed the authorized installation of metal beam crash barriers and wire rope barriers along the road. Additionally, it became mandatory to apply thermoplastic paint throughout the highway and on the Rambler. Moreover, Shinde took action by issuing notices to erect more than two thousand suggestion boards to enhance awareness and safety.

• In January 2019, Uddhav Thackeray appointed him as the Health Minister of Maharashtra. In his role, he successfully addressed the shortage of medical professionals by filling 890 vacant positions for MBBS doctors and specialists in various government hospitals. Additionally, he implemented regulations to ensure fair payment for contract workers under the National Health Scheme and increased their salaries. Furthermore, he initiated the establishment of dialysis centers in sub-district hospitals, approved the opening of 60 dispensaries as part of the ‘Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana’ scheme, and collaborated with Thane Municipality and Jito, a service organization, to launch Mahavir Jain Hospital in Hajuri, Thane. Another notable achievement was the inauguration of Matoshree Gangubai Sambhaji Shinde Hospital.

• He maintains a strong presence across multiple social media platforms, engaging actively with his audience. On Instagram, his followers exceed 164k, while his Facebook page boasts a following of over 401k. He frequently shares images and videos of his political rallies and campaigns, ensuring his message reaches a wide audience through social media.

• and his son Shrikant Shinde introduced a state-of-the-art strawberry plant to the region of Mahakaleshwar, Madhya Pradesh on 22 November 2020. During the process of sowing the strawberry seeds, Eknath Shinde

• Eknath Shinde was once apprehended for driving an electric car at a velocity of 137 Kmph on the Samrudhi highway.

• Eknath Shinde and several MLAs from Maharashtra were reported missing on June 20, 2022, shortly after the legislative council elections. There were rumors that some Shiv Sena MLAs had cross-voted in favor of the BJP, potentially leading to their victory in the MLC seats. Media sources suggested that these MLAs were staying in a hotel in Surat, Gujarat. It was also speculated that Eknath Shinde was dissatisfied with the Shiv Sena party’s actions, and the party accused him of rebelling. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claimed that Shinde had revolted due to concerns about potential action from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He also stated that some MLAs had informed them that they were forcefully taken to Gujarat. The Gujarat Police had apprehended the MLAs, but the Maharashtra police would ensure their safe return if given the opportunity. Legal actions were initiated against Shinde, and Raut warned that ministers aligned with him would face consequences. The MVA remained united, and a meeting was planned for that night. Currently, 17-18 MLAs are supporting Eknath Shinde.

• Shiv Sena expelled Shinde from their party on 21 June 2022. In response, Shinde took to Twitter to express his unwavering loyalty to Shiv Sena and its leader, Balasaheb. He emphasized that their devotion to Balasaheb’s teachings of Hindutva is unwavering. Shinde also mentioned their intention to seek wisdom from Balasaheb’s ideologies and the respected Dharamveer Anand Dhighe Saheb. Furthermore, he affirmed their commitment to integrity, stating that they have never engaged in power manipulation and will continue to uphold this principle.

• Following his inauguration as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde modified his Twitter profile image to showcase a picture of Bal Thackeray.