Eknath Shinde on Monday broke down in his first speech as Maharashtra Chief Minister, talking about his family and journey. The 58-year-old won the trust vote in the 288-member House, with 164 MLAs voting for the motion and 99 against it.

Shinde said he had been suppressed by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena for a long time and the rebellion led by him was a fallout of the unfair treatment. He further spoke about almost becoming the Chief Minister of the previous Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance (MVA). 

Also read: Who is Rahul Narvekar, the newly elected Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly?

Eknath Shinde choked up talking about his children, who died in 2000, and parents. 

“They attacked my family…My father is alive, my mother died. I could not give much time to my parents. They would be asleep when I came and would go to work when I slept. I could not give much time to my son Shrikant. My two children died – at the time, Anand Dighe consoled me. I used to think, what is there to live for? I will stay with my family,” Eknath Shinde said. 

Also read: Back in Maha assembly, Shinde camp wins big, faces stiff criticism on Aarey

Shinde’s two children, 11 and 7 years old, died in a boat accident. The CM added that Shiv Sena icon Anand Dighe helped him ‘recover and made me leader of the Shiv Sena in the assembly’. 

He further defende the rebellion, saying that he could not take the humiliation during the legislative council election. 

“I started getting calls and people started joining me. Uddhav Thackeray phoned me, asked me where I am going, I said I don’t know. He asked me when I would return, I said I don’t know…I decided that I was willing to sacrifice myself but I would act.”

 Also read: Eknath Shinde, rebel MLAs paid nearly Rs 70 lakh for a week’s stay at Guwahati hotel

“Ajit Pawar told me later ‘we had no objection to you, the objection was from your party’. At Sharad Pawar’s instance, Uddhav Thackeray was made Chief Minister. I supported him wholeheartedly,” he said.

Shinde’s rebellion last month with a section of Shiv Sena MLAs culminated in the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government. Shinde took oath as the chief minister on June 30 with Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.