Jagannathrao Joshi (23 June 1920 – 15 July 1991) was an Indian politician and a senior leader of the

Bharatiya Jana Sangh The Bharatiya Jana Sangh ( BJS or JS, short name: Jan Sangh, full name: Akhil Bharatiya Jana Sangh; ) (ISO 15919: '' Akhila Bhāratīya Jana Saṅgha '' ) was an Indian right wing political party that existed from 1951 to 1977 and was the po ...

(BJS) and

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the List of ruling p ...

(BJP). He was born at

Nargund Naragunda is a town in Gadag district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Geography Nargund is located at . It has an average elevation of 605 metres (1984 feet). Etymology The name "Nargund" comes from "Nari Gundu", which means "Hill ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...

in 23 June 1920. He completed his matriculation from

Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya (NMV) is one of the oldest schools in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The school was founded by the Shikshan Prasarak Mandali, an educational charity on 1 January 1883. The school has a secondary school section for students i ...

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

and graduation in English Hons from Sir Parshurambhau College. Inspired by the ideology of the

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ; , , ) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar (Hindi for "Sangh family ...

, he began his political career with the

Jana Sangh The Bharatiya Jana Sangh ( BJS or JS, short name: Jan Sangh, full name: Akhil Bharatiya Jana Sangh; ) (ISO 15919: '' Akhila Bhāratīya Jana Saṅgha '' ) was an Indian right wing political party that existed from 1951 to 1977 and was the po ...

in Pune.Jagannathrao Joshi - Organiser, 1 August 2010
/ref> Joshi was elected to the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-pas ...

twice from Madhya Pradesh as Jana Sangh member, in 1967 (from

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It ...

) and 1971 (from Shajapur). Later, he served as a member of the

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, wikisource:Constitution of India/Part V#Article 80, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legisl ...

from 1978 to 1984. He was BJP's candidate from

in 1984 Lok Sabha elections. One of the tallest national political leaders of the RSS parivar and a well-respected orator, he actively participated in the

Goa Liberation Movement The Goa liberation movement was a movement which fought to end Portuguese colonial rule in Goa, Portuguese India. The movement built on the small scale revolts and uprisings of the 19th century, and grew powerful during the period 1940–1961. ...

. His contribution to building the BJS and BJP in Karnataka earned him the epithet "Karnataka Kesari" (Lion of Karnataka). He could deliver impeccable political speeches in several languages, such as Hindi, English, Kannada and Marathi, all of which languages he spoke with native fluency. Joshi died on 15 July 1991 at the age of 71. Obituary - Parliament of India
/ref> A Government Primary School at

Sanquelim Sanquelim or Sankhali is a town and municipal council in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. Geography Sanquelim is situated in the Bicholim Taluka of North Goa North Goa district is one of the two districts that constitutes t ...

in Goa is named in his honour.

References

1920 births 1991 deaths People from Gadag district People from Maharashtra India MPs 1967–1970 India MPs 1971–1977 Rajya Sabha members from Madhya Pradesh Marathi politicians Goa liberation activists Lok Sabha members from Madhya Pradesh People from Shajapur district Bharatiya Jana Sangh politicians Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Madhya Pradesh People from Bhopal district Rajya Sabha members from the Bharatiya Janata Party {{Maharashtra-politician-stub