Eknath Gaikwad

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| name = Eknath Gaikwad

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|1|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Satara, Bombay Presidency, British India

| residence = Mumbai

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|4|28|1940|1|1|df=y}}

| death_place = Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

| constituency_MP1 = Mumbai South Central

| parliament1 = India

| term_start1 = 2009

| term_end1 = 2014

| predecessor1 = Mohan Rawale

| successor1 = Rahul Shewale

| constituency_MP2 = Mumbai North Central

| parliament2 = India

| term_start2 = 2004

| term_end2 = 2009

| predecessor2 = Manohar Joshi

| successor2 = Priya Dutt

| office3 = Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly

| term_start3 = 1985

| term_end3 = 1995

| predecessor3 = Premanand Awale

| successor3 = Baburao Mane

| constituency3 = Dharavi

| office4 =

| term_start4 = 1999

| term_end4 = 2004

| predecessor4 = Baburao Mane

| successor4 = Varsha Gaikwad

| constituency4 = Dharavi

| office5 = Maharashtra State Minister for Health, Medical Education, Social Justice, Housing and Slum Development and Labour

| term_start5 = 1999

| term_end5 = 2004

| predecessor5 =

| successor5 =

| party = Indian National Congress

| spouse = Lalita Eknath Gaikwad

| children = 2 sons and 2 daughters (including Varsha Gaikwad & Jyoti Gaikwad)

| website =

| date =

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}}

Eknath Gaikwad (1 January 1940 – 28 April 2021) was an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress (INC) political party. He was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha and the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He died from COVID-19 in 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/covid-19-in-maharashtra-former-mp-eknath-gaikwad-passes-away|title=COVID-19 in Maharashtra: Former MP Eknath Gaikwad passes away}}

Personal life

Gaikwad belonged to an Ambedkarite Buddhist family.{{Cite web|url=https://aajtak.intoday.in/gallery/three-women-mla-in-maharashtra-oath-as-uddhav-cabinet-tedu-1-43696.html|title=जानिए- कौन हैं उद्धव कैबिनेट में शामिल हुईं तीन ताकतवर महिलाएं - Education AajTak|website=aajtak.intoday.in|date=31 December 2019 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tarunbharat.org/%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%b9%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b7%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%9f%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%b0/%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%b9%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b5%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b8-%e0%a4%86%e0%a4%98%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a1%e0%a5%80%e0%a4%9a%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%82%e0%a4%a4%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%ae.php|title=Tarun Bharat : महाविकास आघाडीचा मंत्रिमंडळ विस्तार|website=Tarun Bharat}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Gaikwad's daughter is Varsha Gaikwad, who is a four term Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and a ex-Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra.{{Cite web|url=https://divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/news/23-ministers-belong-to-the-maratha-community-in-thackeray-government-126408482.html|title=उद्धव ठाकरे सरकारच्या ४३ सदस्यीय मंत्रिमंडळात २३ मंत्री मराठा समाजाचे|website=Divya Marathi}}
- {{cite web | url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/they-bjp-sold-dreams-to-people-those-dreams-are-not-coming-true/ | title=39-year-old Varsha Gaikwad, the Congress candidate here | work=indianexpress.com | date=7 October 2014 | accessdate=15 April 2016}}
- {{Cite web|url=https://divyamarathi.bhaskar.com/news/maha-cabinet-expansion-first-cabinet-expansion-of-maha-government-led-by-cm-uddhav-thackeray-126407251.html|title=फडणवीस गेले, अजित पवार मात्र पुन्हा आले! उपमुख्यमंत्र्यासह २५ कॅबिनेट,१० राज्यमंत्र्यांना शपथ|website=Divya Marathi}}

Career

He represented the Mumbai South Central constituency of Mumbai. He lost the seat to Rahul Shewale in 2014. He has been three times a Member of Legislative Assembly from Dharavi and also twice state minister of Maharashtra state cabinet. Since 1985, he has represented Dharavi which is Asia's largest slum.

Positions held

1985-1990: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
1990-1995: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
1999-2004: Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
1999-2004: Maharashtra State Minister For Health, Medical Education, Social Justice, Housing and Slum Development and Labour
2004-2009: Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
2009-2014: Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
2017-2020: President Of Mumbai Congress Committee