"He always stayed loyal; his demise is big loss for party": Uddhav Thackeray condoles Manohar Joshi's death

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 23 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday expressed grief over the demise of the former chief minister and Lok Sabha ex-speaker Manohar Joshi and said that the veteran's demise is a 'big loss'.
Speaking to reporters here, Thackeray said that Manohar Joshi always 'stayed' loyal to his party.
"It is very unfortunate. Manohar Joshi had seen many ups and downs in his life but he never left Shiv Sena, he always stayed loyal to the party... When Balasaheb Thackeray was arrested, he was one of those arrested with him. His demise is a big loss to the party," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker and Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, the first CM to lead a non-Congress government, breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital at 3 am on Friday. He was 86.
Manohar Joshi served as chief minister from 1995 to 1999 and was the first leader from the undivided Shiv Sena to occupy the top post in the state.
He was also elected as a Member of Parliament and was the Lok Sabha Speaker from 2002 to 2004 when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was in power.
He was also a Member of the Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012 and Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises from 1999 to 2002.
He was a municipal councillor in Mumbai during 1968-70 and Chairman, of the Standing Committee of the Mumbai municipal corporation in 1970. He was the Mayor of Mumbai during 1976-1977.
He was then elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 1972. After serving three terms in the Legislative Council, Joshi was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1990 and was the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly during 1990-91.
Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais has also expressed grief over the demise of Joshi, calling him one of the most respected political leaders in the state.
"A skilled organizer, outstanding parliamentarian, excellent orator, fiery opposition leader and respected Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Joshi left his indelible mark while discharging every role," the governor said in a condolence message.
Bais further said that realizing the importance of skill education long ago, Joshi created centres for imparting technical and skill education which helped thousands of young women and men secure jobs.
"Joshi Ji was a soft-spoken and erudite parliamentarian who was respected by politicians cutting across the political spectrum," he said. (ANI)