Manohar Joshi is an Indian politician, best known for serving as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999. He holds a senior position in the Shiv Sena and is one of the main leaders of the party. Many media reports indicate his loyalty to the Thackeray family and that he was a follower of Bal Thackeray. He often expressed his love for Balasaheb by saying “Balasaheb is my leader”. He was also one of the Indians elected in all four legislative bodies. He died of cardiac arrest on February 23, 2024, in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Wiki/Biography
Manohar Gajanan Joshi was born on Thursday, December 2, 1937 in Nandavi, Raigad district, Maharashtra (died aged 86) . His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. He pursued his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Veermata Jijabai Technical Institute (VJTI), Mumbai. He also pursued an LLM and PhD from the University of Mumbai. Born into a poor family, he supported himself on madukari, accepting alms reserved for those who underwent the line-crossing ritual. He also worked as a waiter in a hotel and as a peon in Bombay. Due to limited educational opportunities in the village, Manohar moved to Mumbai for education. After arriving in Mumbai, he was attracted to the grassroots politics championed by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, who later became his mentor and eventually guided him into politics.
Manohar Joshi and Bal Thackeray
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′ 9″
Hair color: salt and pepper (semi-bald)
Eye color: black
family
He was born into a poor Brahmin family.
Parents and siblings
Manohar’s father’s name is Gajanan Krishna Joshi and his mother’s name is Saraswati Gajanan.
wife and children
Manohar married Anagha Joshi on May 14, 1964. His wife died in 2020.
Manohar Joshi and his wife
They have a son, Unmesh, and two daughters, Asmita and Namrata.
Manohar Joshi’s son
other relatives
Joshi’s granddaughter Sharvari Wagh entered the film industry with the 2021 film Bunty Aur Babli 2. 
Profession
politics
Josh began his career as a teacher and entered politics in 1967. After completing his studies in 1968, he started his career as an official in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In 1972, he began his political journey by winning a seat in the Legislative Council on behalf of the Shiv Sena. He served in this position for three consecutive terms until 1989. Additionally, he served as the Mayor of Mumbai from 1976 to 1977.
After Manohar Joshi was elected mayor
In 1990, he won a seat in the Legislative Assembly as a Shiv Sena candidate. He served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999. His tenure marked an important milestone as he became the first non-Congress chief minister of Maharashtra when the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance came to power in 1995. However, the first non-Congress government in Maharashtra was led by Sharad Pawar in 1978, then a member of the Indian National Congress (Socialist Party). According to many party members, he became chief minister on March 14, 1995, defeating his uncle and front-runner for the chief ministership, Sudhir Joshi. Thackeray claimed that Manohar’s intelligence and business knowledge were outstanding and that he had good relations with other leaders, especially Sharad Pawar of the Congress party. During his tenure as chief minister, the Maharashtra government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Hindus. However, upon discovering the arrangement, Bal Thackeray expressed his dissatisfaction and felt that he had been sidelined in the decision-making process. During his tenure as chief minister, the Maharashtra government launched a massive slum rehabilitation program. The objective of the initiative is to provide free housing to slum dwellers who lived in makeshift huts before 1995. The construction of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was carried out during Joshi’s tenure as chief minister. He established the Jagatik Maratha Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Additionally, he organized the Maharashtra Advantage Conference to stimulate industrial investments in the state. Additionally, he coordinated the Agri Advantage Maharashtra program aimed at supporting farmers and organized exhibitions showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. He has written a book titled “Swachh Mumbai; Harit Mumbai” in Marathi, which focuses on environmental issues and the Clean Mumbai movement. During his tenure as chief minister, he clashed with several leaders, including Chhagan Bhujbal in 1991. Bhujbal expressed dissatisfaction with Bal Thackeray’s appointment of Joshi as the leader of the opposition, leading to Bhujbal’s resignation from the party. During the 1999 general elections, he won a seat in the Lok Sabha representing central Mumbai. Joshi served as Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from October 1999 to May 2002. From 2002 to 2004, he served as Speaker of the Lok Sabha under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. On March 20, 2006, he won a seat in the Lok Sabha after losing the Lok Sabha election from the Mumbai Central constituency. Despite retiring from politics, he still maintained a consistent presence and regularly attended all gatherings at the Thackeray family residence ‘Matoshree’.
educator
He founded the Kohinoor Technical/Vocational Training Institute to provide training to semi-skilled youth as electricians, plumbers, television/radio/motorcycle mechanics and photographers. Later, he opened more Kohinoor branches in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Nashik. He also founded a construction and capital-oriented business. He established Kohinoor College of Commerce and Kohinoor-IMI Institute of Hotel Management in Khandala, Maharashtra. He also served as Prime Minister of Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth.
dispute
For allegedly inciting riots in Ayodhya
Joshi and Bal Thackeray were seen during the 1992-1993 riots over the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya after the Indian government directed a probe called the Sri Krishna Commission Report Shiv Sainiks are encouraged to commit violence against Muslims. Joshi, then a member of the BJP-Shiv Sena government, condemned the report as “anti-Hindu, pro-Muslim and biased” and claimed that he refused to acknowledge the committee’s recommendations.
land distribution bias
While serving as chief minister of Maharashtra, he approved the handing over of a piece of land in Pune to a developer known to his son-in-law Girish Vyas for a school project. In 1998, Girish built a residential complex called Sundew on the allocated land. However, Joshi resigned from his post in January 1999 after an investigation was launched by Vijay Kumbhar, an RTI activist from Pune. In March 2009, the Bombay High Court ruled that the residential complex was illegal. In 2011, the Supreme Court of India ruled on the matter and imposed a fine of Rs. 15,000. Joshi accepted Thackeray’s resignation despite calling the allegations a “political vendetta”. Later, the building was converted into a school.
assets/property
movable property
- Bank Deposit: Rs. 10,39,437
- Bonds, Bonds and Equity: Rs. 5,88,734
- Motor Vehicles: Rs. 15,20,500
- Other assets: Rs. 12,11,861
real estate
- Agricultural Land: Rs. 1,50,00,000
- Non-agricultural land: Rs. 30,00,000
- Commercial Buildings: Rs. 1,29,00,000
- Residential Building: Rs. 99,00,000
Note: The asset estimate given does not include assets owned by his wife and dependents.
net worth
rupee. 4 Crores
Note: The asset estimate given does not include assets owned by his wife and dependents.
die
In May 2023, he was admitted to PD Hinduja Hospital due to cerebral hemorrhage and was in a “semi-coma state”. He died in Mumbai on February 23, 2024, at the age of 86. On February 22, 2024, he suffered cardiac arrest and was admitted to the intensive care unit of Hinduja Hospital. His last rites were performed at Shivaji Park Crematorium. Officials said he was given a state funeral.
Manohar Joshi’s last rites
Facts/Trivia
- His party leaders called him “Josh Sir” and “Manohar Pant”.
- In September 2022, Joshi was appointed as a key patron of NLC Bharat.
- In September 2023, Sada Sarvankar, a MLA aligned with Shinde’s Shiv Sena, made an important statement in a widely shared video. He claimed that Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut incited him to attack Joshi’s residence in Shivaji Park in 2009. Although there is a lack of evidence for this claim, party members observed tension between Joshi and Uddhav Thackeray, especially after Bal Thackeray’s death in 2012.
- In 2013, the tension between Uddhav Thackeray and Manohar came to a head. During the Shiv Sena’s annual Dussehra rally, Joshi, who traditionally sits next to Bal Thackeray at all events, was forced to leave the stage. Uddhav’s supporters in the party were reportedly unhappy with Joshi’s remarks. Joshi commented that the Shiv Sena’s leadership style under Uddhav Thackeray was not as confident as it was under Bal Thackeray’s leadership.
- Shiv Sena (Shindhi) MP Gajanan Kirtikar spoke about Joshi in a statement and said,
He is known for his strict discipline. I have worked with him in the party and in state government. He is very punctual. He has a vision for development. He is a chief minister who works at the grassroots level. His contribution in building Maharashtra and in the field of education will never be forgotten. “
- He had a deep affection for Maharashtra and the Marathi-speaking people.
- He completed his doctoral thesis on Shiv Sena and received his Ph.D.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education