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Bakht is not the Muslim mukhota of the BJP

Sikander Bakht is the lone Muslim leader at the vanguard of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and a key figure in its decision-making processes.

When the BJP formed the short-lived government at the Centre on May 16, 1996, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as prime minister, Bakht was appointed urban affairs and employment minister. However, he was dissatisfied with the portfolio and refused to attend office for about a week. After hectic parleys, the party leadership gave in and made him the external affairs minister, a post which he held for another six days.

Born to Nafiz Mohamed Yusuf and N Begum Yusuf on August 24, 1918, in Delhi, Bakht spent much of his time in the city, grooming himself for a career in politics.

He went to Delhi University from where he took a degree in science. He married Raj Sharma in 1952.

He jumped into the political fray to join the Indian National Congress but when it split in 1969, he went along with the Congress-0.

Eight years later he walked out of the party and joined the ranks of the Janata Party in whose government he was minister for works and housing.

However, with the fall of the Janata Party government, Bakht parted ways with it and joined hands with the BJP. He was the party general secretary from 1980 to 1982 and thereafter vice-president till 1993.

He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1990, and was re-elected to the Upper House in 1996. He is leader of the Opposition in the house.

UNI

Elections '98

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