Eknath Shinde is fourth Maharashtra Chief Minister hailing from Satara

Eknath Shinde on Thursday became the fourth chief minister of Maharashtra who hails from Satara 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.

Before him, the state had three chief ministers from the district: Yashwantrao Chavan (the first CM of the state), Babasaheb Bhosale and Prithviraj Chavan. While Pawar, another former CM, is mainly associated with Baramati in Pune district, the NCP leader told reporters that his family has roots in Koregaon tehsil of Satara.

"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.