Shinde rose to prominence in June 2022 after leading a factional split within the Shiv Sena party,leading to the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis that resulted in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government in Maharashtra. Shinde and a group of rebel MLAs withdrew support from the MVA,pledging support to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) instead,which was in opposition at the time. After the resignation of the-then Chief Minister and leader of the MVA,Uddhav Thackeray without facing the floor test[6],Eknath Shinde was sworn-in as Chief Minister on June 30,2022. In February 2023,the Election Commission of India (ECI) ruled in favor of Shinde’s faction,granting it the official Shiv Sena name and the party symbol,based on its legislative majority and the 2019 electoral performance. [7]
The Thackeray faction challenged the defection before the Supreme Court of India and sought disqualification of the rebel MLAs[8]. In May 2023,the Court delivered a unanimous verdict declaring the decisions of the then Governor,Bhagat Singh Koshyari to demand a floor test was illegal [9]. While the Court did not reverse the ECI’s decision or disqualify the MLAs directly,it held that the then Maharashtra Legislative Speaker,Rahul Narwekar's recognition of Shinde’s faction as the original Shiv Sena was not in accordance with constitutional principles[10][11].
Shinde served as Chief Minister till the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections,in coalition with the Mahayuti alliance. In the 2024 Assembly elections,the BJP was voted at the largest political party. Following the election,Shinde was sworn in to the role of Deputy Chief Minister,with Fadnavis returning to the role as Chief Minister for his third term.[12]
Shinde was awarded an honorary D.Litt. (Doctor of Literature) by D.Y. Patil University at the convocation of the university in Navi Mumbai on 28 March 2023,at the hands of Maharashtra governor Ramesh Bais and university chancellor Vijay Patil.[20]
Early political career
Entry into politics
Shinde was introduced to politics by then ThaneShiv Sena President Anand Dighe in early 1980.[21] Initially,he was leading the Shiv Sena agitation in the Wagle Estate. He became one of the prominent labour leader in the region.[22] After recognition from Dighe,in 1984 he became a Sakha Pramukh in the Thane.[23] In 1997,he was elected to the Thane Municipal Corporation as a corporator for the first time. Shinde became successor to Dighe's legacy after his death in 2001.[24] Later in 2001 he was elected to the post of the Leader of the House of the Thane Municipal Corporation.[25] In 2002 he was re-elected to the Thane Municipal Corporation for the second time.
2004:Elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the first time
2005:Appointed as the Thane district head of Shiv Sena. First MLA to have been appointed at such a coveted post in the party
2009:Re-elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly [26]
2014:Re-elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly [26][27]
October 2014 –December 2014:Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly** 2014 –2019:Cabinet Minister of PWD (PU) in Maharashtra State Government[25] 2014 –2019:Appointed as the guardian minister of Thane District 2018:Appointed as a Leader of Shiv Sena Party [28] 2019:Cabinet Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare (Marathi:सार्वजनिकआरोग्यआणिकुटुंबकल्याण) in Maharashtra State Government [29]
2019:Elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the fourth consecutive time
2019:Appointed as the minister of Urban Development and Public Works (Public Undertakings)[30]
2019:Appointed as the Minister of Home Affairs (Acting) (28 November 2019 –30 December 2019)
After Eknath Shinde established the government, he started using the Shiv Sena name and symbols without Uddhav Thackrey's permission. This created issues as Uddhav Thackeray also claimed to be the leader of Shiv Sena. Uddhav's faction challenged this in court, which was eventually moved to the Election Commission of India. The Commission recognized Eknath Shinde's faction as the real Shiv Sena party, which ended the leadership dispute.[46] The Election Commission also found the changes made to the Shiv Sena party constitution in 2018, under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, to be undemocratic. The amendments centralized the party's control and were criticized for not allowing free, fair, and transparent elections for the party positions.[47]
Political legitimacy
On 4 February 2024, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar ruled that Shinde's faction was the "real Shiv Sena" political party. This decision was a significant setback for the rival faction led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.[48]
Electoral performance
Under Shinde's leadership, his faction of the Shiv Sena performed well in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party secured 7 seats, demonstrating a higher success rate compared to their alliance partner, the BJP, which won 9 seats in Maharashtra.[49] This electoral success helped consolidate Shinde's position within the state's political landscape.
Chief Ministership (2022-2024)
On 30 June 2022, Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, following a political crisis that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.[50] His appointment came after he led a rebellion within the Shiv Sena party, aligning with the BJP to form a new government.
Deputy Chief Ministership (2024 - present)
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2025)
Personal life
On 2 June 2000, their son (aged 11, born 1989) and daughter Shubhada (aged 8, born 1992) went boating in a lake near their native village in Maharashtra. The boat overturned, and both children died by drowning. Shinde went into a period of depression for several months. Anand Dighe provided emotional support to Shinde and entrusted him with greater responsibility in order to keep his mind occupied and away from depression.[51]
Dharmaveer, a 2022 Indian Marathi-language biographical drama film by Pravin Tarde, covered Anand Dighe and Eknath Shinde's life.[53][54] Kshitish Date played the role of Eknath Shinde.[55] Eknath Shinde has a starring role in Dharmaveer as one of Dighe’s most loyal foot soldiers.[56]
In September 2024, sequel called Dharmaveer 2 was launched in which Eknath Shinde played a last scene cameo before the end of the film.
Notes
↑ Shinde Starting using Gangubai in his full name from 2024[2]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Shiv Sena 
