
Know Maharashtra's new CM Eknath Shinde: Here are 5 facts
New Delhi/IBNS: Eknath Shinde, who led the rebellion against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Thursday evening.
Bharatiya Janata Party's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as his deputy CM a day after the BJP-architected coup forced Uddhav Thackeray to resign.
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath of office.
Here are five facts about Eknath Shinde:
1. Shinde, who used to drive an autorickshaw in Thane, arrived in Mumbai as a teenager from Satara in Maharashtra and joined the Shiv Sena. He rose through the ranks after launching a labour union for the party. He studied till eleventh standard.
2. He was elected to the Thane Municipal Corporation in 1997 and was tasked by the Shiv Sena to work in Thane. The move helped him build a base in the region.
3. Shinde was elected to Maharashtra Assembly in 2004 and his position in the Shiv Sena became stronger after party founder Bal Thackeray's nephew Raj quit and launched Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
4. When the Shiv Sena snapped its alliance with the BJP after 25 years and fought the election on its own, Shinde became the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly.
5. He completed his Bachelor of Arts from Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University. Shinde has been elected an MLA for consecutively for four terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly - 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019.