Ghazala Hashmi Remains Attached With Her Ancestral City

Hyderabad: Ghazala Hashmi, the newly-elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in the US, has strong familial relations with Hyderabad and has visited the city at least four times since she migrated to the US with her family. Her last visit was in 2015, four years prior to becoming the first Muslim-American woman to serve in the Virginia State Senate.

Her relatives are spread across different parts of the city, including Malakpet, Saidabad, Mehdipatnam and Shaikpet. Her paternal grandfather was an advocate, while her maternal grandfather served in the finance department of the Government of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

While most of her cousins are in academics, a few are in business and some in the legal profession. Ghazala also mentored a few cousins, sometimes communicating through letters before the advent of the Internet.

Some of her female cousins followed in her footsteps, attained doctorates and went on to serve in various professions, including as faculty in engineering colleges and as journalists.

“A kind-hearted and jovial person, she was my mentor during my PhD research,” recalled Dr. Sameena Faheem Hashmi, associate professor and head of department (English), Deccan College of Engineering and Technology.

A resident of Muradnagar, Sameena recalled that Ghazala had a deep emotional connection with Hyderabad. Despite her entire family moving to the US, she was happy to see the transformation her native city underwent in recent decades.

“During her visit to the city in 2015, four years before she became a Senator, she became emotional and was pleased to see Hyderabad emerge as an IT hub, a sign of progressive growth in terms of technology,” Sameena said.

Another cousin, Dr Rasia Nayeem Hashmi, a senior journalist with Munsif daily, recalled how Ghazala inspired her during her higher studies, including her PhD, and always remained in contact.

Rasia also recalled compiling information to upload on Wikipedia after Ghazala became Senator. “In 2019, Ghazala’s victory over Sturtevant was a significant win for Democrats in both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate. She is deeply attached to Hyderabad and her relatives here. She misses her childhood and family bonds. During a family gathering hosted by her uncle in Hyderabad in 2015, she became emotional and said, ‘I love Hyderabad. I wish to visit more often, but my duties do not allow me to do that’,” Rasia recalled.

Lufti Hassan, currently serving as the Honorary Consul General of Guyana for the Southwest US, described the victories of Zohran Mamdani and Ghazala Hashmi as having “a special meaning” to him because of his Indian roots.

“They both stayed consistent in their messaging, which resonated with voters. Ghazala, in particular, brought joy and pride to all Hyderabadis by first being elected as the first Muslim South Asian to serve in the Virginia State Senate, and now being elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia,” he told DC.

Hassan said the victories sent a strong message that Americans were unhappy with the Republican-led government. “After the hardship of dealing with tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and the government shutdown, it became easier for Democrats to unite behind their candidates. The passing of Proposition 50 in California will certainly help Democrats win back the House in 2026,” said the “hardcore Democrat,” who has served on the DNC advisory board for over two decades.