Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde waves at supporters during his visit to Pandharpur. Pic/PTI
The journey to the top post has not been easy for the 58-year-old leader, who was born on February 9, 1964, in a poor family in the Satara district of Maharashtra. A hard worker, he took up various tasks including driving an auto-rickshaw and working in a factory to support his family. Pic/Atul Kamble
Shinde joined the Shiv Sena in 1980 after being influenced by Bal Thackeray's speeches and thoughts. Pic/PTI
He participated in many agitations, such as the Maharashtra-Karnataka agitation over the status of Belagavi, for which he was imprisoned. Pic/PTI
He made his mark in the party with the help of his mentor Anand Dighe and was elected to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) in 1997. Pic/PTI
After a brief stint as the Leader of the House in the Thane Municipal Corporation, Shinde entered the state Assembly in 2004 and was later appointed as Shiv Sena's Thane district chief. Pic/PTI
In 2004, he was elected as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, and since then he has been a legislator for four consecutive terms- 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019. Pic/PTI
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