Who is Sanjay Joshi?

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Sanjay Joshi is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, who is now the poll manager for BJP president Nitin Gadkari. He was a long-time member of the Gujarat BJP and was a member of the BJP national executive until he was forced to resign after a public pressure from Narendra Modi.

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A mechanical engineer by training, Joshi was a lecturer in an engineering college, but he resigned to become a full-time volunteer (pracharak) in the nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Maharashtra. Noting his organizational acument, 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

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. In 1998, when Modi wished to return to Gujarat, Joshi had opposed the move.

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However, in 2001, the Modi faction overturned the leadership of Keshubhai Patel and Modi became the chief minister. In 2005, Joshi was highlighted in a controversial sex CD[6], which led to his being removed from all posts in the BJP. However, later it was found that the CD had been doctored Nonetheless, 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.

In May 2012, Modi threatened to boycott the BJP national meet unless Joshi was removed from the BJP executive. In what is widely seen as an "erosion of Gadkari's powers", Joshi was forced to resign, and within two hours, Modi announced that his decision to attend the BJP meet.

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