Pralhad Joshi, a dedicated RSS loyalist and long-time BJP worker, is now serving his fifth term as a Member of Parliament from Dharwad, Karnataka, a stronghold of the saffron party.
Known for his close ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leader Amit Shah, Joshi previously held the portfolios of Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs in the last Cabinet. As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, he played a crucial role in the functioning of both Houses and in passing significant bills during the 17th Lok Sabha.
A senior BJP leader highlighted Joshi's efforts in initiating policies that unlocked the coal and mining sector's potential, driving it towards self-reliance. Joshi, who also served as BJP Karnataka president, first gained prominence as the 'Rastradwaja Horata Samiti Sanchalak' during the party's movement to hoist the tricolour at Idgah Maidan in Hubballi, and the "Save Kashmir Movement" in the early 1990s.
In the recent Lok Sabha polls, Joshi secured the Dharwad seat with a margin of 97,324 votes, defeating Congress's Vinod Assoti. An astute political strategist, he has also served as the party's election observer or in-charge in states like Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Rajasthan.
Besides his political and social engagements, Joshi has interests in Hindustani classical music, chess, badminton, and carrom. Born in 1962 in Vijapura into a humble Brahmin family, Joshi was the third child of late Venkatesh Joshi, a Railway employee, and Malatibai. He completed his primary education at Railway School, high school at New English School, Hubballi, and graduated in Arts from Sri Kadasiddeshwar Arts College, Hubballi.
Joshi joined the RSS at a young age and was groomed in its training camps before becoming a BJP activist. He played a key role in establishing Hubballi-Dharwad and surrounding areas as BJP strongholds. In 1998, he became general secretary of the party's Dharwad unit and its president in 1995. He first became an MP in 2004 and has since won five consecutive elections.
As BJP Karnataka state unit general secretary and later its president in 2013, Joshi worked closely with veteran BJP leader and late Union Minister Ananth Kumar. He took over as state BJP chief before the 2013 assembly polls during a period of internal divisions and significant anti-incumbency. Despite his efforts to unite the party, BJP lost power to the Congress under Siddaramaiah's leadership.
In the 16th Lok Sabha, Joshi chaired the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas and served on various committees, including the Lok Sabha Business Advisory Committee and the Committee on Ethics. He addressed the UN General Assembly in December 2008, speaking on atrocities against women and children, and in April 2012, he advocated for a political settlement to the Tamil issue in Sri Lanka.
Professionally, Joshi co-founded a small-scale industry, Vibhava Chemicals, and was a member of the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hubballi. He is married to Jyoti Joshi, and the couple has three daughters.
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