Rebel leader swears by Hindutva 'taught to us by Balasaheb'

Eknath Shinde, who has engineered the biggest revolt to hit Shiv Sena in over 15 years, has been a die-hard Sainik since the 1980s.

- Manoj Badgeri, Chaitanya Marpakwar and Ranjan Dasgupta

Even as he raised the banner of revolt, he signalled his commitment to the Hindutva cause and paid tribute to his mentors with a tweet, "We are Balasaheb's staunch Shiv Sainiks...Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva... We will not compromise on the thoughts of Balasaheb and the teachings of Anand Dighe Saheb for power..."

The four-time legislator and strongman represents the Sena heartland of Thane. Groomed by the late party firebrand Anand Dighe, he has had a steady rise, report Manoj Badgeri, Chaitanya Marpakwar & Ranjan Dasgupta.

'Organisation Man' who worked his way up the ranks

Beginning as a shakha activist from the Kisan Nagar area, Ekmath Shinde was elected a corporator before becoming a MLA and cabinet member.

The 58-year-old native of Satara had a humble origin in a neighbourhood in Wagle Estate, the area he now represents. He started off in a private firm and worked as an auto driver before he caught the attention of his mentor in the 1980s.