A grassroots Shiv Sena worker who rose to become one of the most powerful leaders in the party, Eknath Shinde is known for his raw style of functioning which avoids publicity. Mr. Shinde has been the party’s face in politically vital Thane and Palghar districts – bordering Mumbai – where he is responsible for Sena’s impressive performance in Lok Sabha, Assembly, and local body polls for over two decades and strengthening the party base in the region what is called as suburbs of the maximum city.
Despite being a powerful mass leader within the party, only next to Thackeray’s in comparison, Mr. Shinde has been fuming for being sidelined within the party folds. A four-time MLA from an urban seat of Thane, he was named as a legislative party leader in 2014.
Mr. Shinde handled an important department of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. The MSRDC is constructing the ambitious Nagpur-Mumbai super communication highway worth over ₹55,000 crore. The project, was a brainchild of Mr. Fadnavis and Mr. Shinde, effectively implemented by both the leaders, paving the way for a cordial relations between the two.
