Abdul El-Sayed’s Historic Senate Victory Brings Celebration to Karnataka’s Bhatkal

Bhatkal: The victory of Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed in Michigan has brought a sense of pride and celebration to the coastal town of Bhatkal, particularly among the Jukaku family, to which his wife Sara’s father, Dr Tayyab, belongs. For the family, the political success of a man they have come to regard as one of their own is also a deeply personal moment — a reminder of the close bonds he has nurtured with his relatives in the coastal town despite his busy public life.

“He knows all of us by name and by designation. He is extremely close to the family. We forget that he is Egyptian origin. For us, he is a Bhatkali,” said Dr Nazneen, Sara’s aunt and Dr Tayyab’s sister while speaking to Deccan Chronicle.

For Nazneen, El-Sayed’s victory is not just about his political achievement. She has known him as a cheerful, affectionate family member who enjoys connecting with people, making jokes and spending time with relatives, including the younger children.

“He is very jovial. He likes to connect with people, know about them and talk to even small children. Whenever he comes, he mingles with everyone, chats and also makes coffee for everybody. He is very close to us. We are happy at his victory,” she said adding that the family group on WhatsApp is filled with greetings and prayers for El-Sayed.

El-Sayed, a public health physician with a PhD in public health, had an unusual academic journey.

“He had just joined medical college when he received the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. He put his medical studies on hold to pursue his doctorate at Oxford and later returned to complete his medical degree. He accomplished this while already married. Despite his demanding academic and professional commitments, he quickly became an integral part of the extended family in Bhatkal,” she added.

El-Sayed has visited Bhatkal three or four times, including for family functions.

“In 2012 he attended my son’s wedding. He had also come again,” Dr Nazneen said adding that in the recent years, however, his political commitments and preparations for elections have kept him from travelling as frequently.

She said Dr Tayyab has played an important role in keeping the extended family closely connected, bringing together children and grandchildren during family gatherings.

Public service before politics

For Nazneen, El-Sayed’s electoral success is rooted in the public service he undertook long before entering politics.

During his tenure as director of the Wayne County Department of Health, he worked on several public health initiatives.

“He arranged free eyeglasses for schoolchildren, worked to address water contamination in Flint, and also took steps to tackle industrial pollution in areas where air quality had deteriorated, including measures to get industries to install equipment to reduce emissions,” she said.

Dr Nazneen recalled that he had also helped address the medical debt burden of poor people in Michigan through government intervention.

“He did so much before entering politics. Because of all these social service he won so easily,” she added.

El-Sayed had initially not considered a political career. Nazneen said former US President Bill Clinton had encouraged him to enter politics after appreciating his ideas and public speaking during his college days as early as 2007. El-Sayed, however, wanted to continue working as a doctor.

His move into public health was driven by the belief that treating individual patients was not enough. He wanted to make a difference to the health of the wider population. Later, he felt that politics offered a platform to bring about broader changes.

“He is very dedicated and honest. He has big ideas and is committed to them. You cannot bribe him. He did not accept corporate donations during elections,” Dr Nazneen said.

Among his ideas is universal healthcare, with access to medical care for all, drawing inspiration from healthcare systems in Europe.

A family legacy of honesty

For the Jukaku family in Bhatkal, El-Sayed’s victory is not merely a political achievement in Michigan. It is also a reminder of the values of honesty, public service and humility that they believe have travelled across generations.

El-Sayed’s victory has also brought renewed attention to Nazneen’s family history, particularly that of her father, Shamsuddin Bin Hussain Saheb Jukaku who was known in Bhatkal for his honesty and public service.

Shamsuddin Saheb who had served as the president of Bhatkal Municipality had won two elections from the erstwhile Honnavar constituency- in 1957 and 1962. In the BD Jatti government, he had served as the Deputy Minister of Finance.

She recalled an incident involving a shopkeeper who had displayed her father’s photograph in the shop.

“My brother once stopped at a shop for tea and noticed a diya lit in front of our father’s photograph. Without revealing his identity, he asked the shop owner why he had kept the photograph. The owner told him that when road work led to the demolition of his shop, Shamsuddin Saheb had helped him get another shop. He had continued to hold our father in high regard,” Nazneen recalled.

Her father’s contribution to Bhatkal, she said, was never confined by religion, caste or economic status. He worked for people irrespective of whether they were rich or poor.

“We are proud of his legacy. He did so much for Bhatkal. He never bothered about religion, caste or creed. He worked for everybody,” she said.

With El-Sayed’s victory, the family feels that the values Shamsuddin stood for have found a new expression in the younger generation. Nazneen said younger people and her patients, some of whom were unaware of the family connection, have now begun recalling her father’s name.

“We never brag about it. It is nice that his name is being remembered now. For us, it is a double win,” she said.

“El-Sayed has promised several initiatives. He has to fulfil those promises, and that is a big responsibility,” Nazneen said.

The family, she added, has been praying for him asking God to give him the strength to deliver on his commitments.

“We have faith in God. God will help him, and people will also come forward to support him. We are praying that he will be able to do everything he has promised,” she said.