Manohar Joshi, a prominent politician in Mumbai, passed away at the age of 86 after a long and illustrious career in politics. Joshi was a loyalist of Bal Thackeray and held multiple positions within the Shiv Sena party, including corporator, mayor, MLA, MLC, Lok Sabha MP, Rajya Sabha MP, chief minister, Union minister, and Lok Sabha Speaker. He was the first non-Congress and Brahmin chief minister of Maharashtra, and he paved the way for private sector participation in public infrastructure projects. Despite his loyalty to Bal Thackeray, Joshi had clashes with Thackeray’s son, Uddhav Thackeray.
Joshi was known for his soft-spoken demeanor and was an academician and entrepreneur, founding the Kohinoor Technical Institute. He joined the Shiv Sena in 1967 and rose through the ranks to become a close confidante of Bal Thackeray. During his tenure as Chief Minister, Joshi introduced several key initiatives, including the slum rehabilitation scheme and public-private partnerships for infrastructure development.
Over the years, Joshi had conflicts with other Shiv Sena leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, and eventually Uddhav Thackeray. He was booed off the stage at a rally in 2013 after making comments about the party’s leadership, which led to his gradual withdrawal from party affairs. Despite the challenges and controversies, Joshi remained grateful for his successful life and achievements.