CrossChat with Dr. CP Joshi (Former Speaker of the Rajasthan Vidhansabha & PCC Chief)

CrossChat Episode 1 | In Conversation with Dr. C.P. Joshi Welcome to the debut episode of CrossChat! In this highly intellectual and candid interview, we sit down with veteran Congress leader, former Union Minister, and former Speaker of the Rajasthan Vidhansabha, Professor CP Joshi. Dr. Joshi opens up about his remarkable 45-year-long political journey, starting from his days as a student union president at Maharana Bhupal College in Udaipur to becoming a trusted cabinet minister in Dr. Manmohan Singh's government. He shares fascinating, unheard anecdotes about his political mentor, former Rajasthan CM Mohanlal Sukhadia, including how Sukhadia used to sign files in his moving car and drop them off at collectorates to speed up governance. He also reveals the inside story of his first election in 1980 from Nathdwara, where former PM Indira Gandhi herself came to campaign as his star campaigner. Addressing the much-talked-about 2008 Rajasthan Assembly Elections, Dr. Joshi clarifies why he never staked a claim for the Chief Minister's post against Ashok Gehlot, stating his only mandate from the high command was to form the government, not to become the CM. He fiercely defends the Congress party's legacy, praises Rahul Gandhi's deep understanding of the country's social fabric, and boldly discusses the roles of the RSS, Karl Marx, and VD Savarkar during India's freedom struggle. Tune in to hear about his monumental work in education (such as opening 25,000 Rajiv Gandhi Pathshalas), the real grassroots impact of the NREGA scheme, his cross-party friendships, and his take on the BJP's 22 crore vote bank! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Highlights: • Defending Rahul Gandhi: Explains how Rahul Gandhi is traveling to understand the country's true social fabric, much like Mahatma Gandhi did, and praises his efforts to democratize the Youth Congress. • The 2008 CM Race: Clarifies that as the PCC Chief in 2008, his only task was to bring Congress to power; he did not engage in factionalism or claim the Chief Minister post against Ashok Gehlot. • Mentorship under Sukhadia: Shares unique stories about Mohanlal Sukhadia’s extensive traveling, his massive public connect, and his habit of signing files with a "From Car" note. • Transforming Education & Highways: Proudly recalls his tenure as Education Minister, where he opened 25,000 Rajiv Gandhi Pathshalas and hired 10,000 female teachers at the Panchayat level, as well as his time as Union Minister expanding National Highways in Mewar. • Ideological Debates: Boldly analyzes the different ideological streams of the freedom struggle, acknowledging the diverse approaches of figures like Karl Marx, Jayaprakash Narayan, VD Savarkar, and the RSS. • Defending NREGA: explains how it successfully stopped the forced labor migration of poor villagers across India 📌 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to CrossChat for more inspiring and insightful episodes with India’s influential minds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support us by joining our channel -    / @crosschat   Follow CrossChat on: Instagram -   / thecrosschat   Facebook -   / thecrosschat   Our Shorts Channel -    / @theklipped   Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/20uZMuW... Podcast shot at: SinghChronize Studio, Jaipur For bookings contact: 9413110055 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #CrossChat #CPJoshi #PodcastIndia #IndianLeadership #RajasthanPolitics #PublicLeadership #IndianGovernance #CongressParty #PoliticalInterview #HindiPodcast #nrega #mnrega #ashokgehlot #sachinpilot #dotasara #rajendrarathore