A law graduate from Panjab University (PU), 44-year-old Saurabh Joshi is a second-generation, dyed-in-the-wool Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker. Following his victory, an emotional Joshi was seen holding a photograph of his late father, Jai Ram Joshi, a former president of the Chandigarh BJP unit.
Recalling his early political exposure, Joshi said that as a seven-year-old in 1989, he would accompany his father – himself a staunch RSS worker – to party booths during elections. “I have seen my father caring for people from all strata of society. He taught us that humanity comes first, politics later. I feel blessed to be carrying forward his legacy. My focus will be the all-round development of Chandigarh,” he said.
Joshi studied at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, and DAV College, Sector 10, before enrolling in the law course at PU. It was here that he sharpened his political skills while serving as a student leader. As a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), he unsuccessfully contested key positions in the Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) elections, including that of the president and general secretary. This experience paved the way for his entry into the municipal corporation (MC), where he was first elected councillor at the age of 29 in 2011. This is his second term in the MC, having contested the polls thrice. At present, he represents Ward 12, which covers Sectors 15, 16, and 24. Over the past three decades, Joshi has been a vocal presence in the House, advocating modernised civic infrastructure and criticising administrative delays. He has been instrumental in pushing for the upgrade of local parks, improving sanitation protocols in old sectors, and ensuring the implementation of central government schemes at the ward level. Within the Chandigarh BJP, Joshi is seen as a “worker-first” leader who understands the city’s complex administrative machinery. The BJP leadership will be looking at Joshi, known to have a bold and assertive approach, to resolve some of the city’s pressing issues to keep anti-incumbency at bay before the general polls in December.
Challenges before the new mayor
1. Clearing the Dadumajra legacy waste, which has missed several deadlines.
2. 24X7 water supply project, which is currently in limbo as its cost has escalated by multiple crores.
3. Sanitation, especially since City Beautiful has consistently slipped in Swachh Rankings over the years.
4. Upkeep of cow shelters, in wake of the recent fiasco where several bovines were found dead at a local gaushala
5. Building and maintenance of city roads falling under MC, most of which are awaiting repairs.
