# Pralhad Joshi

Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi (born 27 November 1962) is an Indian politician who is the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Minister of New and Renewable Energy since 2024. He was also the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Minister of Coal and the Minister of Mines from 2019 to 2024. Joshi has also been a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha since 2004, representing the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency. He was also the State President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka (BJP) from 2014 to 2016. He served in the panel of chairpersons of the Lok Sabha (2014–2018).
Joshi first came to public notice with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when they organised a movement to hoist the Flag of India at the Idagah Maidan Hubli Karnataka during 1992–1994. Recently the Supreme Court of India has upheld the Karnataka High Court order restoring the ownership of the said maidan to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal corporation. He has been elected to Lok Sabha in the general elections of 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019.

## Early life and education

Pralhad Joshi was born on 27 November 1962 in Bijapur, Mysore State, India, to father, Venkatesh Joshi, and mother, Malatibai Joshi. His father was an Indian Railways employee and Joshi is the third of his parents. Joshi's primary education was in the Railway School, his secondary education in New English School in Hubballi, and for his higher education, Joshi graduated from Shri Kadasiddeshwar Arts College in Hubballi.
Joshi has been member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from a young age and he attended the RSS' training camps.

## Early political career

An industrialist by vocation in his early days, Pralhad Joshi ingratiated himself into the political fray by organising a movement to hoist the Tri-colour flag at Idagah Maidan (also known as Kittur Rani chennamma Maidan) Hubli Karnataka from 1992 to 1994. He also led the "Save Kashmir Movement" during those years, which established him as a known figure in those regions of the state. He was then elected the president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Dharwad district. He first contested in the 14th Lok Sabha elections in 2004, where he won from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency by defeating INC's B.S Patil.
He's won three consecutive elections from that constituency and is the incumbent MP of Dharwad. In the 2009 General elections, he won by second highest margin amidst 28 constituencies in Karnataka, while most of the ministers and Members of Parliament secured a loss in the same year. In 2019, he retained the Dharwad seat for a second term by a margin of over one lakh votes.

## Union Minister

Joshi took oath as a Cabinet minister on 30 May 2019, and he was appointed the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Minister of Coal and the Minister of Mines. His tenure in these ministerial posts lasted till June 2024, and after the 2024 Indian general election, Joshi was appointed the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Minister of New and Renewable Energy in June 2024. Joshi's win, for the fifth time in a row, from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency was a record of consecutive wins by any candidate in the constituency; however Joshi stated that he was unhappy due to winning with a reduced vote margin.

## Personal life

Joshi is married to Jyoti Joshi and they have three daughters. Joshi has been reported to be a reader and has interests in Indian classical music and cricket.