Mr. Shinde while speaking with the press, said, "Earlier I was chief minister. Now I am governor. In either position, I can serve the people". From the state of Maharashtra, this Indian Politician is currently serving as the Cabinet Minister of Power in the Manmohon Singh government. Though Sushilkumar Shinde was born to a poor family but possess qualities to be a politicians of such reputation.

According to his long-time associate Jayant Patil "he always had the desire to do something in life. He studied hard and also worked as a bailiff in a Solapur court before becoming a sub-inspector of police. He also studied law. I am glad to see him become Maharashtra`s first dalit chief minister. " Shinde has been among the top competitors since the late 1980s, for the chief minister`s post in Maharashtra. But he lost out every time as because he does not pertain to the dominant Maratha community, which comprises more than 30 per cent of the state`s population.

This first Scheduled Cast Chief Minister of Maharashtra was born to a very poor Hindu "kakkaya-Dhor" family on 4th September 1941. He started his career as sub-inspector of police. He also studied law. In 1971, encouraged by a rising young politician from Congress, Sharad Pawar, shinde joined Congress party as congress politician. Three years later Shinde contested an assembly election from Karmala in Solapur and elected by 25,000 votes. Shinde was honored with the post of a junior minister in V P Naik government.

In 1978, Shinde joined Progressive Democratic Front after resigning from the Congress Party as well as the Vasantrao Patil government. PDF was led by Sharad pawar. Shinde remained with Sharad Pawar even after the PDF government was dismissed in the year 1980. in that very same year as a member of Congress (Socialist), Shinde contested for the assembly election in June and won the election. Shinde rejoined the Congress Party within three years. And became the finance minister in the new Vasantrao Patil government.

For his contribution in the arena of Parliamentary Procedure he was conferred the National Citizen`s Award 1993 and 1994. These awards were conferred to him for putting up maximum number of questions; as Finance Minister of Maharashtra. Shinde in between, in November 1989, achieved the distinction of being the only finance minister in India to present nine successive budgets. Though he belongs to reserved category, contested and won from General seat during the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha Elections with a margin of over one lakh four thousand and seventy seven thousand votes, respectively. He left the state politics and moved to the central one. Over the years, he has gained the trust of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. In 1999, he acted as campaign manager of the congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.

For the post of Vice-President of India, in 2002 he contested the elections against the National Democratic Alliance`s candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. On October 30, 2004, he was appointed the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. This is not a political post constitutionally. On January 29, 2006, before resigning and leaving office, he served as governor for more or less more than one year.

The posts, which he has served, are:
1974 - 92 Member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly 1974 - 75 Minister of State for Sports and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra 1975 - 77 Minister of State for Finance, Family Welfare, Sports and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra 1978 Cabinet Minister for Labour and Tourism, Government of Maharashtra 1983 - 85 Cabinet Minister for Finance, Planning, Sports and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra 1985 Cabinet Minister for Finance, Planning, Environment, Government of Maharashtra 1986 Cabinet Minister for Finance, Planning, Industry, Law and Judiciary, Social Welfare, Government of Maharashtra 1988-90 Cabinet Minister for Finance, Cultural Affairs, Sports and Planning, Government of Maharashtra 1990 Cabinet Minister for Urban Development, Government of Maharashtra 1991 Cabinet Minister for Urban Development, Law and Judiciary, Government of Maharashtra July 1992 Elected to Rajya Sabha 1998 - 99 Member, Twelfth Lok Sabha 1999 - 2003 Member, Thirteenth Lok Sabha 2003 - 2004 and Member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Oct. 2004 - Nov. 2004 18 Jan. 2003 - 2 Nov. 2004 Chief Minister, Maharashtra 3 Nov. 2004 - 28 Jan. 2006 Governor of Andhra Pradesh 29 Jan. 2006 onwards Union Minister of Power April 2006 Elected to Rajya Sabha.

Shinde has cordial, even friendly, relations with many opposition leaders and that is why the ever-smiling Shinde is regarded as to have very few enemies in politics. When he was asked how his becoming chief minister would affect his friendships, Shinde said, "Friendship is different and political rivalry is different. I will not do anything that will hamper my party`s prospects."