Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi passed away on Friday at the age of 86 after suffering a cardiac arrest earlier this week. He was admitted to Mumbai’s P.D. Hinduja Hospital on February 21st and was being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). His funeral will be held later today at Shivaji Park crematorium.
Joshi served as the chief minister of Maharashtra, India’s second most populous state, from 1995 to 1999. He was also the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s Parliament, from 2002 to 2004.
The veteran politician was hospitalized last May after suffering a brain hemorrhage, which is bleeding in the brain typically caused by a ruptured blood vessel. He had been facing prolonged health issues related to old age.
Joshi’s political career spanned over four decades and he was a key figure within the Shiv Sena party, a Hindu nationalist group based in Maharashtra. He held several important positions including municipal councilor, Mayor of Mumbai, and member of the state legislative assembly before becoming the chief minister.
After stepping down as chief minister, Joshi served as a cabinet minister in charge of heavy industries and public enterprises in the federal government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1999 to 2004. He was also a member of the upper house of India’s Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, from 2006 to 2012.
Leaders across the political spectrum paid their tributes to the departed leader. Maharashtra’s current Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called Joshi a disciplined and outspoken politician who worked hard for the state’s development. The state’s other Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said Joshi’s death was a great loss for Maharashtra’s political and educational spheres.
Joshi was known to be a frank and straightforward yet cultured politician. He was instrumental in installing a statue of the 17th century Hindu king Chhatrapati Shivaji inside the Parliament complex during his tenure as Lok Sabha Speaker.
The former chief minister’s wife Anagha Joshi passed away in 2020. He is survived by a son and two daughters. The last rites will take place later today at Shivaji Park crematorium in central Mumbai.
Joshi was one of the tallest leaders within the Shiv Sena party which was founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray. His death comes as a blow for the Sena which recently split into two factions due to an internal power struggle.