Manohar Joshi, the former Lok Sabha Speaker, died on Friday in a Mumbai hospital after suffering a heart attack. The former Maharashtra chief minister was admitted to P D Hinduja Hospital's intensive care unit on Wednesday and died there, according to family sources, news agency PTI reported. Joshi (86) was very unwell, the hospital stated in a statement on Thursday.
The Shiv Sena leader was hospitalised to the same hospital in May of last year after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
From 1995 until 1999, he was the state's chief minister and the first leader of the undivided Shiv Sena.
Joshi was also elected to Parliament and served as Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2002 and 2004.
Joshi was born on December 2, 1937, in Nandvi, Raigad district, Maharashtra, and had his education in Mumbai.
He married Anagha Manohar Joshi, who died in 2020 at the age of 75. He is survived by one son and two daughters.
Who Was Manohar Joshi?
Manohar Joshi began his career as a teacher before moving into politics in 1967. He had been involved with the Shiv Sena for almost 40 years.
Joshi was a Municipal Councilor in Mumbai from 1968 to 1970 and Chairman of the Standing Committee (Municipal Corporation) in 1970.
He also served as Mayor of Mumbai from 1976 to 1977.
He was eventually elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 1972. Following three years in the Legislative Council, Joshi was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1990.
He also served as Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly from 1990 to 1991.
Manohar Joshi's greatest major political achievement occurred in 1995, when he was named Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He replaced Sharad Pawar of the Indian National Congress, bringing the Shiv Sena to power for the first time in the state. He was also elected to Parliament and served as Lok Sabha Speaker from 2002 to 2004, during the Vajpayee government's tenure.