In the recent 18th Lok Sabha Election, India witnessed the emergence of young and dynamic MPs from different parties and states, which bodes well for Indian democracy, one of these young Parliamentarians is Choudhary Iqra Hasan, who made history by becoming the youngest Muslim female MP to enter the Parliament. Winning from Kairana Lok Sabha Constituency in Western Uttar Pradesh, Iqra’s victory generated significant buzz on social media. Undoubtedly, Iqra inherited the political legacy from her family but it is evident that her relentless efforts and dedication on the ground played a crucial role in her success, making her win a testament to her individual merit and hard work.
Iqra Hasan, a third-generation politician from the Hasan family, defeated the incumbent BJP MP Pradeep Kumar in the Kairana Constituency by a significant margin of 69,116 votes. What was particularly surprising and shocking to many was that, despite the extensive campaigning by prominent BJP leaders, including the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Minister Yogi for Pradeep Kumar, Iqra Hasan managed to secure her victory without any notable figures supporting her campaign. Utilising her ‘sole strategy’ and ‘walk alone’ approach, she worked on the ground and engaged directly with the people, achieving a remarkable win that left the BJP astonished.
Choudhary Iqra Hasan or Iqra Munawwar Hasan, was born into an influential Muslim-Gujjar family in Muzaffarnagar (of which Kairana was originally a part before being included in the newly formed Shamli district in 2012). Iqra’s father, Munawwar Hasan Sahab, was a prominent political figure, having served as a Member of Parliament in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and as a member of the state legislative assembly in 1991 and 1993, working with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. Iqra’s mother, Begum Tabassum Hasan, also served as an MP, elected in 2009 from the BSP and again in 2018 from the RLD in a bypoll election. Iqra’s elder brother, Choudhary Nahid Hasan, is a three-term incumbent MLA from the Kairana Vidhan Sabha constituency. In 1984, her grandfather, Akhtar Hasan, made history by winning the Kairana Lok Sabha election on an INC ticket, defeating BSP chief Mayawati in her debut Lok Sabha election.
Since her childhood, Generation Z parliamentarian Iqra Hasan has studied away from home in girls’ hostels. She completed her secondary education at Queen Mary School in Delhi and graduated with an LLB degree from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. For her postgraduate studies, she went to London and completed an MSc in International Law and Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 2020.
During the second wave of COVID-19, Iqra Hasan returned home from London, marking a turning point in her life and providing her with an opportunity to enter politics at an early age. Upon her return, her elder brother, Nahid Hasan, was imprisoned on what were believed to be false charges. Iqra worked tirelessly to secure his release while simultaneously campaigning for him in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha election. Due to her hard work and dedication, her brother won the election and became an MLA again, despite being in jail. This accomplishment inspired many and was a significant factor in her decision to run in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. However, her political career actually began in 2016 when she contested a Zila Panchayat election, though she did not win.
In an interview with the Lallantop News Channel, Iqra said, “I have been very interested in politics since my childhood, having grown up seeing my family involved in it, but I never expected to enter electoral politics so early. I always wanted to pursue academics and become a professor or educator. In fact, I intended to return to London for my PhD but couldn’t because of the pandemic and the responsibilities that arose from my return.”
Before this Lok Sabha election, Iqra gained attention in 2019 when a picture of her protesting against the CAA and NRC in front of the Indian High Commission in London went viral. At that time, no one anticipated that she would soon become a member of the Indian Parliament.
Iqra’s inspirations include her late father, who was a very hardworking person and served the people sincerely and honestly. She was inspired by hearing stories about her father directly from people while campaigning and engaging with them, as he had passed away in a road accident near Palwal in the state of Haryana. Her brother was also an inspiration to her. During the process of trying to secure her brother’s release from jail, she met Dr. Kapil Sibal, the current president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, a few times, and he also inspired her greatly. As Iqra shared this in an interview with India Today news channel.
Describing herself as a ‘strategic feminist,’ Iqra says, “I’m a feminist, but that doesn’t mean I need to declare it openly. Coming from a traditional, conservative, and patriarchal Muslim family, I have different approaches to working for women’s rights.” She has promised to work extensively for women’s empowerment, upliftment of backward classes, and to promote and facilitate higher education for young girls.
The journey of 29-year-old Iqra Hasan from Kairana in Western Uttar Pradesh to becoming the youngest Muslim female MP has been nothing short of remarkable, shattering glass ceilings and inspiring countless young girls to pursue their dreams of serving society. India needs young, educated, and forward-thinking parliamentarians like Iqra, who are deeply rooted in Indian culture yet modern in their outlook, able to understand the present and advocate for students and systemic reforms. As an ardent admirer I extend my heartfelt best wishes to Iqra for her future endeavours in the House and eagerly look forward to witnessing her impactful contributions in Parliament.
*References*
1. Namita Bajpai (24 January 2022). “Uttar Pradesh Polls: Sister out to retain SP bastion for jailed Nahid Hassan in Kairana”. The New Indian Express.
2. TNN (17 July 2022). “Iqra, sister of jailed SP MLA Nahid Hasan, gets ready for LS polls”. Times of India. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
3. Ahmad, Ghazala (2024-04-17). “SOAS graduate, SP’s Iqra Hasan takes on BJP, poised to win Kairana Lok Sabha seat in UP”. Maktoob media.
4. India Today News Desk (4 June 2024). “Kairana, Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 Highlights: SP Wins by 112852 Votes”. India Today
5. Namita Bhandre, (9 June, 2024), ” Meet the MP: Iqra Munawwar Hasan”, Hindustan Times.
Uzair Ahmed is studying in Darul Huda Islamic University, PG Block in dept. Of civilizational studies. He hails from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh,
Email: [email protected]
