Pre Politics
Since his school days, he was inspired by the ideologies of Balasaheb Thackeray. He entered politics in the 1980s when he joined Shiv Sena as a Sainik, introduced by Anand Dighe, his mentor and a senior leader in the party. Shinde, under Dighe’s leadership, emerged as a street-smart leader and problem solver. He participated in various agitations, including the Maharashtra-Karnataka border agitation when he was arrested and imprisoned for 40 days.
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.
His rise surprised many because of his enthusiasm, dedication, and preparedness to convert a crisis into an opportunity. Dighe was impressed by Shinde’s work and brought him into electoral politics by giving him a party ticket in 1997.
Political Career
His first key political position was as a corporator of Thane Municipal Corporation in 1997, where he continued to reign as the leader. In 2004 he was first elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and was appointed the Shiv Sena Thane Head in 2005. He continued his position as an MLA for 4 consecutive terms, serving as Minister of Public Works, Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare, Minister of Urban Development and Public Works, and Minister of Home Affairs.