By Online Desk
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Thursday took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy, a day after Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation from the top post bringing to an end the 31-month-old Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
On the request of BJP president JP Nadda, Fadnavis had decided to join the government in the interest of the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday evening.
During a press meet earlier in the day, Fadnavis had said that BJP would support a new minority government led by Shiv Sena rebel group leader Eknath Shinde, who will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
The meteoric rise of Shinde rivals Bollywood’s film scripts. An auto-driver with humble beginnings, he went on to become the right hand man of party chief Uddhav Thackeray, and his nemesis.
Shinde is a four-time MLA and two-time minister. Skilled in organising people and events, Shinde’s spark was discovered and initially used by Sena’s Thane district president Nanad Dighe. That’s how auto-driver Shinde started driving Dighe’s car.
He then became the eyes and ears of Dighe, who used to be known as the “king of Thane”. Closeness with Dighe helped him get elected as a corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation. Subsequently, Shinde became an MLA and the rest is history. Over the time, he reportedly amassed huge wealth and clout in the party. In the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde was handling plum portfolios of urban development and state road transport.
In 2019, when Sena was bargaining with the BJP over sharing of power, Shinde was dreaming of deputy chief minister post. That dream was clipped when Uddhav Thackeray decided to form government with the help of NCP and Congress.
