Lecturer, Dubai beautician among the new faces in Dakshina Kannada ZP

Mangaluru, Feb 24: Rasheeda Banu, a lecturer at a private degree college in Ullal, is probably the only member in Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat who holds a master degree in political science. This hijab-clad woman managed to defeat her closest rival Poornima Shetty of BJP with a margin of 4,580 votes in Konaje seat in just concluded panchayat polls.

Seema Melwyn D'Souza and Rasheeda Banu 

A rank holder in post-graduation at Mangalore University, Rasheeda worked as a guest lecturer in Field Marshal Cariappa College in Madikeri for two years and then joined Syed Madani Women's College in Ullal.

Eldest daughter of two-time taluk panchayat member Muhammed Mustafa Malar, she is married to Muhammed Twaha, an engineer and they have a small child. Thanks to the support and encouragement from her father, husband and health minister UT Khader she decided to enter politics to serve the poor through Congress party a few weeks ago.

“I want to develop my constituency using the funds available from the government. My father has been supporting me throughout the election,” she says.

“I know there is a lot of difference between what I have learnt and what I will be practicing now,” Ms. Banu said. She intends to work with legislators, and taluk panchayat and gram panchayat members to carry out development works.

“It is through development alone that harmony can be built in my constituency,” she said.

Wife replaces husband

Another Congress candidate Seema Melwyn D'Souza, who won from Neermarga seat, was beautician at a firm in Dubai till last year. She quit her Dubai job to join her husband, Melwyn D'Souza, a former ZP member. She opened her own beauty parlour in Neermarga later.

She said that it was her husband who had contested from the constituency during the last term. “As the women reservation was announced for the constituency, I contested the election. I will work towards the development of the constituency.”

Ruling out that his wife's candidature was a case of family politics, Mr. D'Souza said that it was proposed by party workers. “She is yet to get a grip of things. I am here to support her,” Mr. D'Souza said.