Jaipur: Rajasthan MLA Wajib Ali, 40, breaks the stereotype of the traditional politician. He is a successful young Indian Muslim educator from Australia and was elected from the Nagar constituency in the Bharatpur district.
He ran for the Rajasthan Assembly with the hope of changing the eastern, Meo-dominated region where he was born and raised.
Ali was born into a Meo Muslim family and grew up in the Nagar block’s Sikri village. In 2005, he left his home to attend Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi before moving to Australia to continue his education. He returned to Bharatpur in 2013 and ran for the State Assembly as a National People’s Party candidate, however, he was defeated by incumbent MLA Anita Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Along with his two brothers, Ali manages eight colleges and a school in Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. He also has a successful real estate firm there. He ran a fruitful election campaign in the rural heartland during the December 2018 Assembly elections, winning the Nagar seat and becoming an MLA on the Bahujan Samaj Party ticket.
According to Ali, he returned to India with the intention of changing people’s lives and enhancing the social climate in eastern Rajasthan. “Basic amenities are lacking in this area because it is the most underdeveloped in Rajasthan. Additionally, he claims that members of the Muslim population in Meo are viewed suspiciously.
Since being elected, Ali has concentrated on promoting health and education in his district in an effort to improve the quality of life among the locals. “I’ve been striving to raise the standard of the public school system. Private schooling is not the answer. Even if I open schools and colleges in Nagar, the population will not be accommodated. Only a strong government education system can be advantageous to everyone, he notes.
On the health sector, he underlined that in the past, 95% of women’s delivery cases were directed to private hospitals because of the appalling state of the government-run facilities in the villages. At different levels, Ali’s initiatives have improved the situation. By addressing their difficulties on many venues, he has also helped Muslims and other oppressed communities.
Ali has used public interactions to call attention to the lack of law and order and corruption in various offices. In numerous instances, he has tried to use his influence as an MLA to improve society and right the wrongs. He most recently brought up Amin Kayamkhani’s suspension with the education minister after the teacher called the Minister’s attention to the Urdu subject being neglected in schools.
As a consequence of Ali’s persistent efforts, the State Budget for 2023–24, which was presented to the Assembly last month, included a significant number of announcements for the development of the Nagar Assembly seat. The announcements covered the creation of an agriculture college, the installation of a fecal sludge treatment facility, the upgrading of Khoh and Jaluki village panchayats to sub-tehsils, and the construction of a hostel for females from minority communities.
In 2019, Ali and five other BSP MLAs joined the ruling Congress, claiming that their goal was to maintain the stability of the State Government. The action was taken in response to claims that the BJP was courting BSP legislators in an effort to replicate Karnataka-like unrest in Rajasthan. During the political crisis in 2020 brought on by the mutiny of the then-Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, Ali and his fellow MLAs backed Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. They also supported the Congress candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections in June 2022.
Ali was able to persuade voters during the election campaign of his sincere motives. “In the Nagar constituency, which has 20% Muslims, voters from all castes supported me. The voters believed that I had forgone my Australian luxuries in order to accomplish something for them, he says with delight.
“In addition, I have dismantled the concept of communalism and hate campaigns, which are employed to advance politics. Everybody has put their trust in me,” claims Ali. Nem Singh of the Samajwadi Party came in second, and Anita Singh of the BJP was demoted to third in the election results. Ali won with a margin of 25,467 votes after receiving 62,644 votes.
In August 2022, Ali was subsequently chosen to serve as the Chairperson of the Rajasthan State Food Commission. Since 2013, he has been involved in the Meo-dominated region, supporting the people there in their difficulties and bringing up their concerns with the government.
Before and after his election as an MLA, Ali’s selfless and committed work in the eastern Rajasthan region has served as an example of how young, educated Muslims may affect change by working in a variety of public service positions.
The common people of the Nagar constituency, who have placed their trust in Ali’s leadership, are optimistic that he will raise the bar for public service and give the underdeveloped area a new identity.
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