| Eknath Gaikwad | |
| Birth Date: | 1 January 1940 |
| Birth Place: | Satara, Bombay Presidency, British India |
| Residence: | Mumbai |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Party: | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse: | Lalita Eknath Gaikwad |
| Children: | 2 sons and 2 daughters (including Varsha Gaikwad) |
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.[1]
Gaikwad belonged to an Ambedkarite Buddhist family.[2] [3] Gaikwad's daughter is Varsha Gaikwad, who is a four term Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and a ex-Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra.[2] [4]
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.
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| Congress candidates for 2004 elections to the Lok Sabha from Mumbai | ||||
| Milind Deora (Mumbai South) | Govinda (Mumbai North) | Gurudas Kamat (Northeast Mumbai) Eknath Gaikwad (North-Central Mumbai) | Sunil Dutt (North-West Mumbai) | Sachin Ahir (South-Central Mumbai) |