MumbaiEknath Shinde, the leader who led a successful revolt of disgruntled Shiv Sena MLAs against the party’s central leadership over the issue of Hindutva and the legacy of late party founder Balasaheb Thackeray, will be the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
This was announced by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis at a joint press conference and he and Shinde met Governor BS Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan.
The sudden announcement came as a shock to everyone as it was widely expected that Fadnavis would take oath as the CM and Shinde would be appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister. However, Fadnavis said that Shinde would take oath as the chief minister at the Raj Bhavan at 7.30 pm on Thursday.
The MVA government in Maharashtra fell after Eknath Shinde along with more than two dozen party MPs rebelled against the Shiv Sena. The subsequent rebellion created uncertainty about the future of the MVA government in the state. Also read- Shiv Sena rebel MLAs reach Goa, will leave for Mumbai in few hours
In a dramatic development, Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday resigned from the chief minister’s post after the Supreme Court allowed a floor test in the assembly.
Who is Eknath Shinde?
Eknath Shinde is one of the senior most leaders of Shiv Sena who was the Minister of Urban Affairs in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of Maharashtra.
After the rebellion, Eknath Shinde along with other rebel MLAs moved to a hotel in Surat in Gujarat and then to Guwahati.
Eknath Shinde was born in 1964 and comes from the Maratha community.
It is said that Eknath Shinde had left his studies early to earn a living. However, after becoming a minister in 2014, Shinde resumed his studies and graduated in education from Yashwantrao Chavan Open University, Maharashtra.
Eknath Shinde started his political career in 1997, when he was elected councilor for the Thane Municipal Corporation for the first time.
Shinde became the Leader of the House in the Thane Municipal Corporation in 2001 and was elected to the Thane Municipal Corporation for the second time in 2002.
-Shinde won the Maharashtra Assembly elections for the first time in 2004 from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency of Thane.