Tariq Anwar.
Credit: X/@itariqanwar
Nearly five decades ago, Tariq Anwar contested his first Lok Sabha election in 1977 but lost in the anti-Indira wave. In 1980, he romped home for the first time and has since then represented Bihar’s Katihar parliamentary constituency five times. Voting in the Muslim-dominated Katihar is slated for April 26. Tariq, who served as Union Minister of State for Agriculture in the Manmohan Singh Government, is insisting during canvassing that this could be possibly his last election as he is 73 and may not be fit enough to contest next time.
A Rajiv Gandhi associate, Tariq served as national president of the Indian Youth Congress and Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee chief in the 80s. In 1999, he revolted against Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin issue and formed NCP with Sharad Pawar and PA Sangma, only to return to his parent party - the Congress - in 2018.