Shinde is 'Shiv Sena' in Thane: Autorickshaw was driven in the streets here, wages on the streets and now Eknath is the 'Thackeray' of Thane

In the current political turmoil in Maharashtra, the person whose name is most discussed is Eknath Shinde. Shinde, an MLA from Thane's Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly seat and Minister of Urban Development and Public Works in the current government, has a stronghold in Thane. Eknath is not a name but a party in itself. The people of Thane see him as a reflection of one of the founders of Shiv Sena, Anand Chintamani Dighe. This is the reason why people are blindly standing by Shinde's decision.

Not only the people of Thane are standing behind Eknath Shinde, but more than two-thirds, that is, 40 Shiv Sena MLAs are also standing. Shinde raised a rebellious tone against Uddhav, banners, and posters were put up in his support throughout the Thane district. Balasaheb was there in these posters, but the picture of the current Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray disappeared.

Solved the problem of water by entering politics

Shinde's childhood was spent in Thane's Kisan Nagar Wagle State No. 16. Today he also has a flat here. In this, he lived with his parents and three siblings.

His childhood friend Jagdish Pokhriyal says that Eknath was one of those who stood up for the people from the beginning. There was a huge problem with drinking water here. Women had to fetch water from afar. Seeing this problem, one day Shinde came to Ramesh and asked how this problem would be solved. On this, Ramesh advised him to get into politics. Initially, Shinde refused, but later he joined the RSS shakha.

Muslims made an entry into Shiv Sena

Shinde's stature in Thane is such that the core cadre of Shiv Sena, that is, not only Hindus but also Muslims, is standing with him. This is the reason that in the name of Shinde, the people of both the communities elected his son Shrikant Shinde and sent him to the Lok Sabha. Imtiaz Shaikh alias 'Bachcha', who was Eknath's PA, told that before joining Shiv Sena, Shinde was the RSS shakha chief and used to drive an auto-rickshaw.

One day Anand Dighe came to his locality and asked the people who they wanted to see as their councilor (Nagar Sevak). On this, hundreds of Muslims including Imtiaz put forward the name of Eknath Shinde in unison. It was only after this that Shinde actively entered Shiv Sena.

Hafizur Rahman Choudhary, who runs a fabrication shop here, told that it was Eknath Shinde who had decided to contest the municipal elections while sitting at his shop.

Father used to work in a cardboard company and their mother in homes

Shinde may be in the race for the post of CM today, but there was a time when the financial condition of his house was very weak. Haleem Sheikh, who had driven Eknath Shinde's car between 1990-92, said that his father Sambhaji Shinde used to work in a cardboard company, and his mother used to work in homes. Despite such poverty, Shinde never took any wrong path and was always ready to help his loved ones.

Left politics after the death of two children

22 years ago today, i.e. on June 2, 2000, such a turn came in Shinde's life that he decided to leave the party. His younger son Dipesh and daughter Subhadra had drowned in front of his eyes in a boat accident in Satara.

After this death, Shinde was so broken that he announced his retirement from politics. Devidas Chalke, who has been living with Shinde for the last 40 years, said that after the death of the children, Eknath imprisoned himself in a room. He did not meet or talk to anyone. Then his political mentor and Shiv Sena strongman Anand Dighe brought him back to politics.

Became a laborer, and also did the work of peeling fish

Devidas Chalke also told that Eknath Shinde used to work as a labor contractor along with driving an auto to get the family out of the financial crisis. Many times it happened that more work came and laborers were less. At such a time, Shinde himself worked as a laborer. He also cleaned the fish with his own hands.

Shinde's voice had gone while giving the speech

Devidas further told that there was a time in Eknath Shinde's life when his voice was gone for about 15 days. This was the time for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Shinde campaigned so much all over Maharashtra that he lost his voice. However, with the efforts of the doctors, he was brought back again. Despite this, he kept fighting for Shiv Sena and today he is being accused of being a rebel. Those people are accusing him, who never used to meet people.

Shinde saved the locality from drowning in water

Recalling an old anecdote, Milind Jhande, a friend of Eknath Shinde and a friend of sorrows, told that once a water pipeline passing through the Kisan Nagar area burst and started filling the area with water. The employees of the corporation were getting late in coming.

As soon as Eknath Shinde got this information, he reached the spot and jumped into the water. He repaired the broken pipeline and saved the area from drowning even before the corporation's employees arrived.

When the ration ran out, Shinde got the godown opened.

Shinde's childhood friend Popat Dhotre told that once there was a shortage of rations in his chawl. The local people were getting neither rice nor sugar. When Eknath came to know about this, he directly went to the warehouse of the companies that packed them and picked up the ration from there and delivered it to the people living in Kamla Nagar.

Dhotre further added that Eknath Shinde follows in the footsteps of his political mentor Anand Dighe.

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