‘Working tirelessly for Maharashtra’s development’: PM Modi hails Eknath Shinde

Prime Minister PM Narendra Modi on Monday extended birthday greetings to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister CM Eknath Shinde lauding his tireless efforts towards the statersquos developmentPM Modi took to social media platform X to convey his wishes and recalled Shindersquos association with Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and late leader Anand DigheldquoBirthday wishes to Shri Eknath Shinde Ji He is working tirelessly towards furthering Maharashtrarsquos development and realising the dreams of Pujya Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharamveer Anand Dighe Praying for his long life and good healthrdquo PM Modi postedBirthday wishes to Shri Eknath Shinde Ji He is working tirelessly towards furthering Maharashtrarsquos development and realising the dreams of Pujya Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharamveer Anand Dighe Praying for his long life and good healthmieknathshindemdash Narendra Modi narendramodi February 9 2026Several senior leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath also greeted Shinde on his birthdayShah in his message highlighted Shindersquos contribution to public welfare and the development of MaharashtraldquoHeartiest birthday wishes to Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde You are continuously doing commendable work towards the development of the state and public welfare May Ganpati Bappa grant you good health and long liferdquo stated the Union Home MinisterMeanwhile the Uttar Pradesh CM describing Shinde as a popular leader wrote ldquoHappy Birthday to the popular politician Honourable Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde ji I pray to Lord Siddhivinayak ji for your good health long and glorious liferdquo he saidShinde was born on February 9 1964 in Dare village of Maharashtrarsquos Satara district into a Maratha family His family later moved to Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai where he was brought upHe studied up to Class 11 at Mangala High School and Junior College in Thane and reportedly left school early to support his family financially Before entering politics Shinde worked as an autorickshaw driverHe resumed his studies in 2014 and in 2020 completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open UniversityShindersquos political journey began in the early 1980s after he was introduced to politics by Anand Dighe then Shiv Sena president in Thane In his early years he led several Shiv Sena agitations in the Wagle Estate area and emerged as a prominent labour leaderIn 1984 he was appointed Sakha Pramukh in Thane a key organisational position in the party His influence in local politics grew steadily leading to his entry into municipal politics In 1997 he was elected as a corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation and in 2001 he became the Leader of the House in the civic bodyFollowing Anand Dighersquos death in 2001 Shinde emerged as his political heir in Thane and gradually consolidated his baseHis rise in local politics paved the way for his entry into the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Shinde was first elected as an MLA in 2004 and was appointed Shiv Senarsquos Thane district head the following yearHe was reelected to the assembly in 2009 2014 and 2019During his legislative career Shinde held several key ministerial portfolios From 2014 to 2019 he served as Maharashtras Minister for Public Works Public Undertakings and was also the Thane Guardian Minister In 2018 he was appointed Leader of the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra Legislative AssemblyIn 2019 he took charge as Minister for Public Health and Family Welfare and later held additional portfolios including Urban Development and Public Works He also served briefly as the acting Minister of Home AffairsDuring this period particularly during Devendra Fadnavisrsquo first term as chief minister Shinde is believed to have developed closer ties with the BJP leadershipIn 2022 Shinde led a revolt within the Shiv Sena resulting in a split in the party He pushed for the breakup of the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA alliance and the realignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP citing ideological differences and dissatisfaction over the Congress and NCPrsquos treatment of the Shiv SenaSurat move Sena split and consolidation of powerHis views were reportedly shared by a majority within the party and he secured the support of more than twothirds of the Shiv Sena MLAsIn June 2022 Shinde and several MLAs moved to Surat in Gujarat triggering a major political crisis in Maharashtra that culminated in the resignation of then Chief Minister Uddhav ThackeraySoon thereafter Shinde formed a government with the BJP and was sworn in as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra in June 2022 with Devendra Fadnavis taking oath as Deputy Chief MinisterFollowing his assumption of office Shinde staked claim to the Shiv Sena party name and symbol leading to a prolonged legal battle with the Uddhav Thackeray faction Subsequently the Election Commission of India recognised Shindersquos faction as the official Shiv SenaThe Election Commission also criticised amendments made to the party constitution under Uddhav Thackeray in 2018 terming them undemocratic and excessively centralisedUnder Shindersquos leadership the Shiv Sena won seven seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha electionsIn 2024 Shinde took oath as Maharashtrarsquos Deputy Chief Minister in the Devendra Fadnavisled governmentWith IANS inputs