Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, breathed his last today, Friday, February 23, at the age of 86. Joshi, a stalwart of the Shiv Sena, was admitted to PD Hinduja Hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest on February 21 and succumbed to his condition at the private medical facility, according to family sources. Last year, in May, Joshi was hospitalized at the same Hinduja Hospital following a brain haemorrhage.
A statement from the hospital confirmed Joshi's deteriorating health, stating, "Manohar Joshi, Ex-Chief Minister of Maharashtra, was admitted at PD Hinduja Hospital on 21st February 2024. He suffered a cardiac event and is severely ill. He is currently in the ICU under close observation and receiving the best of medical care."
Joshi served as Maharashtra's chief minister from 1995 to 1999, marking the first leader from the undivided Shiv Sena to hold the top post in the state. He also had a prominent stint in national politics, being elected as a Member of Parliament and later serving as the Lok Sabha Speaker from 2002 to 2004 during the tenure of the Vajpayee government.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who served alongside Joshi in the Maharashtra ministry, mourned his passing, describing him as a "cultured face" of politics.
Joshi's political journey began with his involvement in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), eventually leading him to join the Shiv Sena. Known for his organisational skills, Joshi emerged as a key leader within the party in the 1980s. He is survived by a son and two daughters. Joshi's wife, Anagha Joshi, passed away in 2020 at the age of 75.