Sanjay Joshi

Background

Joshi was born in Nagpur on 6 April 1962. A mechanical engineer from VNIT, Nagpur by training, Joshi was a lecturer in an engineering college, but he resigned to become a full-time pracharak in the nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Maharashtra. Noting his organizational acumen, he was asked to join BJP in Gujarat in 1988, where the party was politically weak. He is known for his good rapport with grass root level workers.

Joshi became a leading figure in BJP politics in Gujarat. From 1988 to 1995, he worked closely with Narendra Modi as a secretary of Gujarat BJP. A former colleague, Gordhan Zadafia has said of him that he is "a silent worker with immense capability and is popular and loved by party workers, while Modi has a dictatorial attitude.". Joshi was viewed as a bachelor who had dedicated his life to the party.

Public feud with Narendra Modi

After a revolt by Shankersinh Vaghela, Modi was shunted out, and BJP won in the subsequent elections in 1998. Joshi became the general secretary of BJP in Gujarat. It seems Modi feels that Sanjay Joshi was instrumental in his expulsion from Gujarat.

In 2001, BJP Central leadership removed Keshubhai Patel and allowed Modi to become chief minister. Since then Joshi has been the focus of several of Modi's actions.

Sex CD against Joshi

In 2005, Joshi was highlighted in a controversial sex CD, which led to his being removed from all posts in the BJP. However, later it was found that the CD had been doctored

In 2010, police officer Balkrishna Chaubey apparently testified that the CD had been given to him by DIG D G Vanzara, known to be close to Modi

After this episode, Joshi was not reinstated for six years, primarily due to opposition from the Gujarat faction. However, in 2011, party president Nitin Gadkari re-appointed Joshi the coordinator for BJP in the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly election, 2012, and appointed him to the national executive. Reportedly unhappy with this move, Modi skipped a party meeting in 2011 Oct, and refused to campaign in UP.

Resignation from BJP national executive

In May 2012, it was reported that Modi had called Gadkari, threatening to boycott the BJP national meet unless Joshi was removed from the BJP. In what is widely seen as an erosion of the BJP president's power, Joshi was forced to resign from the BJP executive, and within two hours, Modi announced his decision to attend the BJP meet. The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat expressed his displeasure at this treatment of Joshi.

In July 2012, Joshi sought security cover z++ category from the Home Ministry as according to him there was threat to his life and had received threatening letters and calls on his mobile phone from a person named Rasool Khan.

In May 2013, Modi again lobbied for non-inclusion of Joshi in an important electoral committee of the BJP. In his tussle with Modi, Joshi apparently enjoys the support of several RSS groups, and also former BJP chief Rajnath Singh, and others.

Currently Joshi has no assignment with BJP; He stays in a Gujarat MP’s flat in North avenue road New Delhi is full of political activity with senior BJP leaders and party workers wants to meet him. As party man with strong backing in RSS, Sanjay joshi played an important role in organization building in Nagpur.

Praise for Narendra Modi

Sanjay Joshi has given a series of statements praising the functioning of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government at center and PM Narendra Modi. Joshi said Narendra Modi is my leader.

Joshi speaking as a chief guest at a seminar - Nationalism and Indian culture, Basics of social equality organized by a group of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers and BJP workers under the banner of Deen Dayal Sewa Pratishthan on the birth of Swami Vivekananda declared that Modi is his leader and showered praise on him for getting international recognition for Yoga.