The Eknath Shinde story: Auto driver who shook Shiv Sena’s foundations

Express News Service

MUMBAI: The meteoric rise of insurgent Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde rivals Bollywood’s movie scripts. An auto-driver with humble beginnings, he went on to change into the appropriate hand man of occasion chief Uddhav Thackeray, and his nemesis. 

Shinde is a four-time MLA and two-time minister. Skilled in organising individuals and occasions, Shinde’s spark was found and initially utilized by Sena’s Thane district president Nanad Dighe. That’s how auto-driver Shinde began driving Dighe’s automotive.

He then grew to become the eyes and ears of Dighe, who was often known as the “king of Thane”. Closeness with Dighe helped him get elected as a corporator within the Thane Municipal Corporation. Subsequently, Shinde grew to become an MLA and the remainder is historical past. Over the time, he reportedly amassed big wealth and clout within the occasion. In the Maha Vikas Aghadi authorities led by Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde was dealing with plum portfolios of city growth and state street transport. 

In 2019, when Sena was bargaining with the BJP over sharing of energy, Shinde was dreaming of deputy chief minister publish. That dream was clipped when Uddhav Thackeray determined to kind authorities with the assistance of NCP and Congress.

Moreover, Uddhav’s son, Aaditya Thackeray, too, joined the cabinet and have become Number 2 within the occasion, diminishing Shinde’s place in Sena additional. Aaditya’s entry to Sena politics appears to have rattled the insurgent chief most.

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The pandemic provided him a very good alternative to cobble up numbers in his favour. When Uddhav was present process backbone surgical procedure, Shinde made use of the communication hole between the CM and occasion MLA’s.

He apparently exploited this to his favour by bringing a number of legislators on his facet, ensuing within the greatest revolt towards Thackeray household in Sena’s historical past. Shinde has not solely destabilised the alliance authorities but additionally shaken the foundations of the Sena.