Early Life
Born on 9 February 1964 in Satara, Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde hails from a Maratha family. His family moved to Thane (when?) for a better life.
Education
Eknath completed his 11th from Mangala High School & Junior College in Thane, but was not able to study further due to financial strain. After a long gap of almost 20 years, he graduated from Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marathi & Political Science.
Early Career
Eknath started working early to support his family, and drove an autorickshaw to earn money. After getting married, with the encouragement and support of his wife Lata, he became a labour leader at Wagle Industrial Estate in Thane.
Family
Eknath married Lata (when?). They had 3 children, a son named Shrikant, another son named Deepesh and a daughter named Shubhada. In a tragic accident in 2000 while they were on a holiday, the Shinde family lost the younger children Deepesh and Shubhada when they drowned in a lake as their boat capsized. Their surviving son Shrikant is an Orthopaedic Surgeon and an elected Lok Sabha member from the Kalyan constituency since 2014. Shrikant married Vrushali in 2016 and they have one child.