Political journey of Eknath Shinde: From rebel to action man to ‘Ladka Bhau’

From a Shiv Sena rebel in 2022, veteran politician Eknath Sambhaji Shinde went on to acquire the image of a doer and man of actions as chief minister in a short span of two-and-a-half years when he headed the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra.

Shinde taking oath as a deputy CM on Thursday in the new government headed by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis may be seen a “demotion” by his ardent supporters, but the former auto-rickshaw driver can claim to be the true heir to the Shiv Sena legacy after the stunning performance of his party in the November assembly polls.

The 60-year-old former CM, elected MLA from Kopri-Pachpakhadi in Thane district, led the Shiv Sena to spectacular victory in the polls as it won 57 of the 81 seats it contested, reducing the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) led by his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray to just 20 assembly segments.

During his tenure as CM (June 30, 2022 to December 4, 2024), Shinde acquired the image of a “24/7 politician” and pushed big-ticket infrastructure projects like the Mumbai coastal road, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu, metro rail, Navi Mumbai international airport, Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg and Dharavi redevelopment. His contribution to the massive Mahayuti victory in the assembly polls was significant and his government’s Ladki Bahin Yojana (beloved sister), a cash transfer scheme targeted at women from poor families, ultimately proved to be the game-changer for the ruling bloc in the elections.

The scheme became so popular among women that the Shiv Sena leader earned the title of ‘Ladka Bhau’ (beloved brother).

Shinde made it a point to remind people of his humble background, and stayed grounded despite holding the top executive post in the state, redefining ‘Chief Minister’ as common man and flaunting his connect with the masses.

The biggest asset of the Shiv Sena leader, who started his political career in Thane district, was his accessibility to people and party workers. As the CM, he put in long hours and often worked beyond midnight. When Shinde revolted in June 2022 against Uddhav Thackeray, who headed the united Shiv Sena and was CM then, he put his political career at risk. Two-and-a-half years later, he has come on his own. Shinde hasn’t just managed to survive, but has established himself as a key leader of the Mahayuti alliance and among the most influential figures in Maharashtra. He has carried forward Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s ideology of Hindutva, a plank appeared to have been abandoned by Uddhav Thackeray after joining forces with the NCP (SP) and Congress, and aligned himself with the BJP, whose support enabled him to become CM in 2022. Shinde originally hails from Dare village in Satara district in western Maharashtra and his family moved to Thane adjoining Mumbai in search of better prospects. Shinde quickly emerged as a key Shiv Sena leader in the Thane-Palghar region after joining politics. The five-time MLA never hides his humble origins. On the contrary, he makes it a point to mention it at times to underscore how he has been indebted to the saffron party and its founder late Bal Thackeray for his rise in state politics. Born on February 9, 1964, Shinde left his education before he could complete graduation and soon got associated with the Shiv Sena when it was growing in the state. Bal Thackeray formed Shiv Sena in 1966 on ‘sons-of-the-soil’ plank and later the party aggressively championed the cause of Hindutva. The party’s aggressive approach towards issues close to its heart and the powerful persona of Bal Thackeray prompted Shinde to join the Sena in Thane, which became his political home. Growing under the big shadows of Shiv Sena stalwart from Thane Anand Dighe, he became his deputy and strengthened the party after the sudden death of his mentor in 2001. He became a corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation in 1997 and won his maiden Assembly election in 2004 and never looked back. Shinde was made Sena’s Thane district head in 2005. His son Dr Shrikant Shinde is the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan in the district. Shinde was appointed the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly for a brief period in 2014 when Sena had not finalised its pact with the then-ally BJP for joining the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet. His clout grew when the Shiv Sena joined hands with the BJP to form government under Fadnavis post-2014 assembly elections and he became a minister. Shinde came closer to then-CM Fadnavis (2014-19) and their association became a matter of discussion so much so that except for the Thane Municipal Corporation, the BJP contested elections to all civic bodies in Maharashtra in 2016 against the Shiv Sena. When the Shiv Sena snapped ties with the BJP and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government with the NCP and the Congress in late 2019, he became a cabinet minister. During the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the NCP handling the health ministry, it was Shinde- controlled MSRDC department that set up healthcare centres in Mumbai and its satellite cities to treat coronavirus patients. Shinde is considered a leader with grassroots touch as he is always available to hear the grievances of party workers and colleagues.