Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi Dies at 86

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi passed away at a Mumbai hospital in the early hours of Friday, where he was admitted after suffering a cardiac arrest, news agency PTI reported. Joshi was 86.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker was admitted in the ICU of P D Hinduja Hospital on Wednesday and breathed his last at the private medical facility, family sources said. According to sources, Joshi’s funeral will be held at the Shamshan Bhoomi in Mumbai's Dadar later today.

Joshi was severely ill, the hospital had said in a statement on Thursday. The Shiv Sena stalwart was admitted to the same hospital in May last year after suffering a brain haemorrhage. 

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 Vajpayee government was in power.  

(With PTI inputs)