Eknath Shinde is the fourth Maharashtra CM to hail from Satara

Mumbai, Jun 30: Eknath Shinde has become the fourth chief minister of Maharashtra to hail from Satara district.

Yashwantrao Chavan (the first CM of the state), Babasaheb Bhosale and Prithviraj Chavan are the other three Chief Minister from this district. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who himself has roots in the western Maharashtra district, noted this in a tweet congratulating Shinde. While Shinde cut his teeth as a Shiv Sena leader in Thane near Mumbai, he hails from Dare Tamb village, 60 km from Satara city.

"After late Yashwantrao Chavan, Shree Babasaheb Bhosale and Shree Pritiviraj Chavan, another Satara-kar has taken over as the Chief Minister," Pawar tweeted earlier in the day. Vijay Mandake, a senior journalist from the district, said leaders from Satara have always been influential in state politics.

Ganesh Utekar, a Shiv Sena leader from the district and resident of Shinde's native Dare village, said it was a pleasant shock for all of them when BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis announced Shinde as the next CM.

"Everybody in the village is celebrating the development," he added. Shinde, who completed his primary education in a local school, visits the village regularly and does not miss the annual village fair, Utekar said.

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde was on Thursday sworn in as the 20th chief minister of Maharashtra, while BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy chief minister, capping a day of surprises and hectic political activities, just 24 hours after the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

In a surprise move, Fadnavis announced in the evening that Shinde, who led the rebellion in the Shiv Sena, will be the new chief minister, while he himself will be out of the new government, only to change his stand and become the deputy CM following prodding from his party's central leadership.