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{{Short description|Indian politician (1959–2020)}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dr. Abdul Ghafoor
| image = AddressingRally.JPG
| caption = At an election rally 2015
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1959|5|5|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Saharsa]], [[Bihar]], [[India]]
| death_date = {{ death date and age|2020|1|28|1959|5|5|df=y}}
| death_place = [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
| residence = [[Patna]], [[India]]
| nationality = [[India]]n
| office1 = [http://minoritywelfare.bih.nic.in/ Minister of Minority Welfare, Bihar]
| term_start1 = 20 November 2015
| term_end1 = 26 July 2017
| predecessor1 = [http://www.brandbharat.com/english/bihar/2010_bihar_mla/NAUSHAD%20ALAM.html Naushad Alam]
| successor1 = Khurshid Alam
| office2 = Member of Legislative Assembly from [[Mahishi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Mahishi]] ([[Janata Dal|JD]] (1995-1997) and [[Rashtriya Janata Dal|RJD]] (1997-2020).
| term_start2 = 1995
| term_end2 = 2005
| predecessor2 = Anand Mohan [[Janata Dal|(JD)]]
| successor2 = Gunjeshwar Sah [[Janata Dal (United)|(JD(U))]]
| office3 = Member of Legislative Assembly from [[Mahishi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Mahishi]]
| term_start3 = 2010
| term_end3 = 2020
| predecessor3 = Gunjeshwar Sah [[Janata Dal (United)|(JD(U))]]
| office4 = [http://www.biharstatehajcommittee.org/ Chairman Of Bihar State Haj Committee]
| term_start4 = Aug 2003
| term_end4 = 2006
| predecessor4 = Shakil Ahmad Khan
| successor4 = Jamshed Ali
| alma_mater = [[Patna University]]
| relations =
| profession = Social Service, Statesman and Educationist
| party = [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]]
| footnotes =
| date = 24 February
| year = 2020
| signature =
}}

'''Dr. Abdul Ghafoor:''' ({{lang-ur| عبد الغفور}}; born 5 May 1959 – 28 January 2020) was an Indian politician who served as Minister of Minority Welfare in government of [[Bihar]] from 20 November 2015 to 26 July 2017. He served as a member of the [[Bihar Legislative Assembly]] representing Mahishi vidhan sabha for 4 terms in 1995,2000,2010 and 2015. His political party was [[Rashtriya Janata Dal|Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD)]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://minoritywelfare.bih.nic.in/ |title=Minister of Monirity Welfare |access-date=21 November 2015 |archive-date=25 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725170348/http://www.minoritywelfare.bih.nic.in/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Early life and education==

Dr. Abdul Ghafoor was born to a farmer Md. Jamal and Bibi Fatima on 5 May 1959 in a small village of Bauharwa in [[Saharsa district]] of [[Bihar]]. He finished his early education (Matriculation) from Islamia High School, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Saharsa in 1974. He completed his higher Secondary in 1976. He graduated (B.A.) from Saharsa College, Saharsa in 1979. Later on, he moved to Patna to pursue Masters in Arts (M.A.) from [[Patna University]] in 1981. He held a PhD degree in [[Urdu]] from [[Patna University]].<ref>[http://myneta.info/bihar2015/candidate.php?candidate_id=3010 Refer for validation]</ref>
He was a professor of [[Urdu]] Parvati Science College since 1982, a position he held till his death in 2020.

==Political objective==

Inspired by the leadership and ideologies of [https://archive.today/20130103154344/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-09-04/patna/27206107_1_veteran-congress-leader-assembly-freedom-fighter Prameshwar Kunwar] he was inclined towards politics from his early youth. His inspiration deepened after the famous [[Bihar Movement|JP movement]]. Being associated with the village, he was involved in the main issues and personally felt the basic needs of the poor people and the minority community. He always believed that they should be given an equal chance to grow, live and prosper on par with the other privileged people. He continuously strove for the upliftment of the backward and underprivileged section of the society. [[Secularism]] and [[Socialism]] were the two pillars of his politics. He was always seen as one of the [http://myneta.info/bih2010/candidate.php?candidate_id=94 cleanest politicians of the state]. He was often referred as [https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/bhagalpur/story-bihar-former-minister-and-mla-of-mahishi-in-saharsa-abdul-ghafoor-is-died-in-delhi-during-treatment-suffering-from-liver-cancer-2989599.html Gandhi of] [[Kosi division|Kosi]] [https://www.livehindustan.com/tags/well-known-as-gandhi-of-kosi-region by his colleagues and followers.]

==Political career==

He first contested on a [[Janata Dal|Janata dal]] ticket from [[Mahishi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Mahishi Vidhan sabha]] and defeated the veteran congress leader and freedom fighter [https://archive.today/20130103154344/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-09-04/patna/27206107_1_veteran-congress-leader-assembly-freedom-fighter Lahtan Choudhary] of [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] in 1995. In 1998 when the [[Janata Dal]] split due to the differences between [[Sharad Yadav]] and [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] to form [[Rashtriya Janata Dal|Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)]] and [[Janata Dal (United)]], he chose [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] and joined [[Rashtriya Janata Dal|RJD]]. He [http://www.elections.in/bihar/assembly-constituencies/mahishi.html won convincingly in 2000 from an RJD ticket] by a huge margin of approximately 20,000 votes defeating Surendra Yadav, an [[independent candidate]]. In the debacle and toppling of Lalu Yadav in 2005 election, he lost from Mahishi to Surendra Yadav marginally. The assembly could not be formed due to unclear mandate hence state was forced into fresh election. In the re-election he was asked to shift his constituency to [[Saharsa (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Saharsa Vidhan Sabha Constituency]]. Accepting the party decision he contested from Saharsa in [[Bihar Assembly Election, Oct 2005|Oct 2005 election]] and lost to [[Bhartiya Janata Party|BJP's]] Sanjiv Jha by approximately 6000 votes.

He worked hard and connected to the masses in the villages of his native assembly [[Mahishi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Mahishi]] and was determined to bounce back into the Bihar politics. His dedication and tireless effort was rewarded, and he was given back his [[Mahishi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|home constituency of Mahishi]] in 2010 elections. Though [[Lalu Prasad Yadav|Lalu Yadav's]] RJD was very badly defeated, he came victorious as the lone RJD candidate from the Koshi region defeating RajKumar sah of JD(U)by a [[2010 Bihar legislative assembly election|margin of 1717 votes]].{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

==Election 2015==

Assumed to be a direct fight between the [http://www.ndtv.com/topic/grand-alliance-of-bihar Grand alliance] of [[RJD]], [[JD(U)]] and [[Indian National Congress|INC]], Vs [[National Democratic Alliance|NDA]].
RJD contested election on 101 Seats, JDU on 101, Congress on 41.
Dr. Abdul Ghafoor once again contesting from the [[Mahishi (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Mahishi]] seat defeated the nearest rival Chandan Kumar Sah by a [http://eciresults.nic.in/ConstituencywiseS0477.htm?ac=77 comprehensive margin on 26,135] votes. This Victory would make Dr. Ghafoor the longest serving MLA from Mahishi.
[http://www.ndtv.com/topic/grand-alliance-of-bihar Grand Alliance] got a Landslide victory by [http://eciresults.nic.in/PartyWiseResult.htm claiming 178] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215065208/http://eciresults.nic.in/PartyWiseResult.htm |date=15 December 2013 }} out of 243 seats while BJP+ managed a mere 58 seats.
However, this alliance lasted only 20 months when Nitish Kumar resigned on 26 July 2017 at 5 PM following JD(U)'s remarriage to BJP and re-forming the government on 27 July 2017 at 10 AM

Dr. Abdul Ghafoor was sworn in as the [http://minoritywelfare.bih.nic.in/ Minority Welfare] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725170348/http://www.minoritywelfare.bih.nic.in/ |date=25 July 2020 }} minister<ref>[http://infoelections.com/infoelection/index.php/bihar-news/329-cabinetministerbihar20112016.html Bihar Cabinet Ministers]</ref> in the [[Nitish Kumar]] government on 20 November 2015.<ref>[http://vidhansabha.bih.nic.in/pdf/1.pdf Bihar Vidhan Sabha]</ref> He was in charge of the ministry until the resignation of Mr [[Nitish Kumar]] on 26 July 2017 following his breakaway from [[Mahagathbandhan (Bihar)|Mahagathbandhan]] and subsequent merger with [[National Democratic Alliance|NDA]].

==Death and legacy==

Dr. Abdul Ghafoor was diagnosed with advanced stage of liver cancer in December 2019 and was admitted to [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences|AIIMS, New Delhi]], for treatment. His health never fully recovered and [https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/rjd-leader-abdul-ghafoor-dies-nitish-tejashwi-express-condolences20200128111240/ breathed last] on 28 January 2020 6:15 AM at [[Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences|ILBS]], [[New Delhi]].

CM Nitish Kumar condoled the demise or one of the finest leader of Bihar and announced that Dr. Ghafoor would be buried with full [https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/saharsa/story-dr-abdul-ghafoor-farewell-with-state-honors-2991028.html State Honors]. His body wrapped in Indian Flag was flown to Patna where [[Guard of Honor]] was given at the Airport followed by the Chief Minister Shri [[Nitish Kumar]], Governor of Bihar Shri Phagu Chauhan, Bihar State Congress Minority Chairman Minnat Rahmani along with the leader from all over Bihar [[Lying in state|paying their respect]] at Vidhan Sabha. RJD Leaders like [[Tejashwi Yadav]], State RJD Chief Jagada Nand Singh, Former Minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui and others paid their respect at the RJD Headquarters in Patna.

[[Namaz-e-Janaza]] was held at the ancestral village Bauharwa in [[Saharsa]] which was [https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/saharsa/story-dr-abdul-ghafoor-farewell-with-state-honors-2991028.html attended by more than 70,000 well wishers]. He was honored with [[gun salute]] and buried at the ancestral [[Graveyard|quabristan]] in presence of the family members, [[District magistrate|DM]], [[Superintendent of police (India)|SP]], politicians from across party line for [[State Funeral]] on 29 January 2020.

==Others==
He was also the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120304181758/http://www.hajcommittee.com/index.php?value=contactshc chairman] of [http://www.biharstatehajcommittee.org/ Bihar State haj Committee] and held the post between 2003 and 2006.

He was active on social media and was easily reachable by public via Twitter - https://twitter.com/DrAGhafoor and on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DrAGhafoor

Details of election affidavit can be found [http://myneta.info/bihar2015/candidate.php?candidate_id=3010 here]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghafoor, Abdul}}
[[Category:Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Bihar MLAs 2015–2020]]
[[Category:Bihar MLAs 2000–2005]]
[[Category:Bihar MLAs 2010–2015]]
[[Category:People from Saharsa district]]
[[Category:State cabinet ministers of Bihar]]
[[Category:Rashtriya Janata Dal politicians]]
[[Category:Janata Dal politicians]]
[[Category:Samata Party politicians]]
[[Category:1959 births]]

Abdul Ghafoor Saharsa politician - Revision history

->JJMC89 bot III at 07:18, 9 December 2021