Iqra Hasan Kairana Biography
Iqra Hasan, 27, is one of the youngest contenders in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
Ms. Iqra Hasan, a postgraduate in International Law from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, is running on the Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket as part of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in her home constituency of Kairana in western Uttar Pradesh.
Kairana was once recognized as the birthplace of the Kirana Gharana of Hindustani Classical music, but it has since lost its charm and is now known for its high crime rate and farmer agitation.
The constituency is politically dominated by two Gurjar families: Hindu and Muslim.
Ms. Iqra Hasan is the daughter of the late Munawwar Hasan, a two-term MP and MLA. Her mother, Tabassum Hasan, a former MP from Kairana, and brother, Nahid, a three-time MLA from the constituency, fled when Uttar Pradesh Police charged Mr. Nahid with traffic violations and misbehaviour with government officials
. The family has branded it as a political vengeance launched by the BJP administration at the request of BJP stalwart late Hukum Singh’s family to kill it politically. Mr. Nahid later surrendered and is currently out on bond.
Ms. Iqra Hasan quickly learned the new trade and has been praised for her modesty and political acumen across party lines. Giving sitting BJP MP Pradeep Chaudhary a tough time at the hustings, local political observers say Ms. Iqra Hasan, with her secular appearance, understanding of local customs, and constant presence among people, clearly has an edge on a seat that the BJP has been milking for alleged ‘palayan’ (exodus) of Hindu families.
“I have not taken a vacation in the last two years.” I only go to Delhi for a day or two. It is a 24/7 job.
People ask me about development projects, but what people here want is for me to be present at their celebrations and grief,” Ms. Iqra Hasan tells The Hindu.
Iqra Hasan Kairana Profile
Iqra Choudhary | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Lok Sabha | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Pradeep Kumar Chaudhary |
| Constituency | Kairana |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party | Samajwadi Party |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | Nahid Hasan (brother) |
| Alma mater | SOAS University of London |
| Occupation | Politician |
Iqra Hasan Kairana Family Legacy
Munawwar Hasan and Tabassum Hasan, both Kairana MPs, have a daughter named Iqra Hasan.
Iqra’s grandfather, Akhtar Hasan, also served a term in the 1980s.
Iqra Hasan, an alumnus of the London School of Oriental and African Studies, entered politics when her mother, Tabassum Hasan, and brother Nahid Hasan, a three-time MLA, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Iqra managed Nahid’s campaign in towns and villages while he fought the 2021 UP assembly elections from jail.
Nahid defeated Hukum Singh’s daughter for the Kairana assembly seat, bringing Iqra to the forefront.
The Hasan family viewed Nahid’s arrest under the severe Gangsters Act as a political retribution by the UP government, at the request of BJP stalwart Hukum Singh’s family, to bring them down politically.
Two Families and a Battle in Kairana
The Kairana election story is incomplete unless we discuss the two families: the Hasans and the Singhs. It tells of decades of animosity after a section of the Gujjar family converted to Islam.
The descendants of the Singh and Hasan families competed in the 1990s elections.
Hukum Singh was a BJP candidate, and Chaudhary Munawwar Hasan ran for the Samajwadi Party.
The continuation of the struggle placed Hukum Singh’s daughter, Mriganka Singh, against Munawwar Hasan’s son, Nahid Hasan.
Iqra Hasan, Naheed’s sister, is now leading the Kairana campaign, however there is no Hukum Singh candidate this time.
Hukum Singh was elected to the Lower House in 2014, following the 2013 communal violence, with a 2.6 lakh vote margin. After his death, Pradeep Chaudhary retained the seat for the BJP.
Iqra Hasan is challenging Pradeep Chaudhary in the Lok Sabha election.
What Might Work in Favor of Iqra Hasan
A seat dominated by Muslims, Dalits, Jaats, and Gujjars, this year’s election is a two-party race between the BJP and the SP, as opposed to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when the SP and Congress competed separately.
This time, both parties, members of the INDIA bloc, have joined forces.
As a result, Iqra Hasan appears to be causing problems for sitting BJP MP Pradeep Chaudhary on the ground. Pradeep Chaudhary of the BJP may potentially face criticism for being perceived as unreachable to Kairana’s electorate.
Iqra Hasan, with her secular viewpoint and presence among the Jats and Gujjars, is thought to have an advantage in a seat that the BJP has linked to an alleged ‘palayan’ (exodus) of Hindu households.
“Today no one dares scare away anyone from Kairana and Kandhla,” wrote Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on X, just before the 2018 bye-election in the constituency, which was said to be “facing exodus of Hindus” following the communal clashes.
CM Adityanath had just announced the creation of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) camp and firing range in Kairana, which many saw as “symbolic”.
How did you go into politics?
I used to be quite interested in politics, but not in a participatory sense. In 2015, I campaigned for my mother door-to-door. After graduating, I applied for a Ph.D. but had to come home in 2021 because to COVID-19.
Around the same time, my mother and brother were implicated in fake cases and forced to flee. I suddenly had to take charge of everything. Before the 2022 Assembly elections, my brother was detained.
I became the campaign’s public face. People were extremely sympathetic, and it was a group win.
How did you utilize your theoretical understanding on a political level?
The ground reality is vastly different. We’ve read that caste politics is awful, but you can’t get away with it here. So you approach it strategically. I am a feminist, but I work in an extremely patriarchal society.
So I have to work my way into it so that it is not too abrupt for them. I consider myself a strategic feminist (laughs).
I always cover my head now, which I didn’t do before. I’ve explained to myself that what I say and do is more important than my attire. So, if I pretend to communicate my message in a certain way, so be it.
Could you explain?
Kairana is hardly a stranger to female politicians. The neighborhood has elected female representatives, including Gayatri Devi, my mother, and Mriganka Singh.
However, it was always labeled as bechari (helpless). For example, my mother was a widow, thus she was referred to as a bechari.
I was labeled a bechari when I arrived since my brother was in jail. When you enter, there is a lot of resistance. To shatter that, you must play up to the image. Then it relies on how you use your access to people’s beliefs.
So, for two years, while on the field doing MLA work on my brother’s behalf, I devised a diplomatic strategy to establish myself as someone who understands what they’re doing. And it developed gradually and organically, to the point that I am now an acceptable Lok Sabha candidate as a result of what I stated in public and on social media.
What issues are you raising in your campaign?
Sugarcane growers’ dues are frequently delayed, as are stray animals. We held a three-month dharna, but the Shamli mill’s payment from last year is still due.
The legal guarantee of MSP, along with an increase in the price of urea bags, irritates farmers.
Because parents here do not want to send their daughters to co-educational colleges, they end up staying at home. I would like to establish a higher education center for girls in the constituency.
How are you combating the BJP’s attempt to polarise? The Prime Minister recently stated that Muslim women would remember him for decades for banning speedy triple talaq.
I believe there is a misperception. In the instant triple talaq case, the BJP administration penalized something civil in nature. When you send the male to jail, the wife does not receive maintenance. Economic freedom is more valuable than vengeance.
Furthermore, I frequently observe that BJP officials and a segment of the media purposely confuse the concept of triple talaq with quick triple talaq. Instant triple talaq is morally unacceptable. I do not endorse it in any way, and it is not even an acceptable kind of divorce under Islam.
The exodus issue is being drummed up again, albeit not as frantically as in the past
Some family relocated from Kairana as their enterprises expanded. Of course, there is crime in the locality, but blaming one group for it is communalizing a problem.
In the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections, people rejected their narrative. When my brother was sent to Chitrakoot jail, I visited him.
There, I saw a newspaper with an article about the reported Hindu exodus in Kairana. The BJP excels at establishing false perceptions and then applying them elsewhere. They tried again with the Sri Lankan island story.
You would agree that only two families have governed Kairana politically: the Munawwar Hasan and the Hukum Singh families.
I accept that my current status is due to my privilege. What counts is what you do with your privilege. I don’t take this for granted. Every field contains some form of nepotism.
Law, a field I am familiar with, has a high level of nepotism. It may sound politically incorrect, but I believe people address me in a specific way because I am privileged. I would not have had this opportunity if I had been a typical girl my age.
But, as politically privileged women, I believe that if we are given a seat at the table, we have a responsibility to make room for others, regardless of their status.
In this respect, I admire Mamata Banjeree. Her party includes a number of strong female lawmakers. Voters empower us, and we empower others.
How are you dealing with the large number of Jat farmers in your constituency following Chaudhary Jayant Singh’s withdrawal from the alliance?
Chaudhary Ajit Singh handed my father his first ticket. When Akhileshji told me I had to run under the RLD [Rashtriya Lok Dal] symbol, I was ecstatic. And Jayantji very kindly forwarded my name.
As a student, I looked up to him as a highly secular individual. So his alliance with the BJP came as a surprise, but it isn’t as effective as the party claims. Farmer issues have yet to be handled, and the BJP is still viewed negatively in this regard.
I agree that he will receive a huge number of Jat votes, but we will also receive 20-30% because we spent days with them during the dharna and formed family-like bonds.
The current MP’s anti-incumbency stance is so strong that we don’t have to focus too much on caste lines.
Iqra Hasan Kairana Personal Life
As of 2024, Iqra Hasan is single and unmarried.
Iqra Hasan Kairana Net Worth
As of 2024, Iqra Hasan’s estimated net worth is INR 15,568,000.
Iqra Hasan belongs to which Kairana political party?
Iqra Hasan belongs to the Samajwadi Party (SP) and represents the Kairana constituency.
Who is the father of Iqra Hasan?
Iqra Hasan’s father is Munawwar Hasan, a well-known politician who was a four-time Member of Parliament (MP) from Kairana, Uttar Pradesh.
Iqra Hasan Kairana Instagram
