Amidst all the fire and brimstone aimed at its electoral ally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena on Thursday picked its most trusted lieutenant, calm and composed Eknath Shinde as leader of Shiv Sena Legislature Party (SSLP). His name was proposed by Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray which was unanimously endorsed by all the 56 Sena MLAs and seven Independent’s and others who gathered at Sena Bhavan, Dadar in the afternoon.
By picking Shinde over other party stalwarts and heavy weights, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has indicated as to who would be the mentor for Aditya Thackeray inside the legislature. The Sena also chose to retain Sunil Prabhu as partys chief whip of the party in the state legislature.
A fourth term legislator from Thane city, Shinde has been known for his calm and cool demeanor and yet wields absolute control over the Thane district for the Sena. Shinde began his more than three decade old political career from the Kisan Nagar Shiv Sena Shakha. In 1997 he entered the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) as Sena corporator. Five years later, Shinde was elected as the leader of the house in TMC, a post he held for three years consecutively.
Shinde entered the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha in 2004 winning from the old Thane assembly constituency. In the intervening period he was appointed as the Sena Thane district chief. Following the delimitation of the assembly constituencies, Shinde was re-elected from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly constituency. In 2014, he completed a hat-trick of victories. After a brief stint as the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Shinde took oath as cabinet minister for Public Works Department (state PSUs) in December of 2014.
He was also entrusted the additional responsibility of Guardian Minister for Thane district. In 2017, Sena for the first time under the leadership of Shinde got absolute power on its own strength in the TMC. Thereafter, he repeated his midas touch in ensuring Sena power in Kalyan-Dombivali, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi, Ambernath and Badlapur civic bodies.
Looking at his performance in turning around an ailing Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the senior Sena leader was given the additional charge of Public Health at the fag end of the previous government. Shinde managed to handle both the portfolio’s with aplomb. Through the MSRDC he implemented big ticket projects like the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, third bridge on Vashi creek, Khalapur-Lonavala tunnel link.
