In the 2026 US midterm elections, the Democratic Party secured majorities in both chambers of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives. However, El-Sayed's victory in Michigan has emerged as one of the closely watched developments in the election. By defeating Republican candidate Mike Rogers, he made history as the first Muslim person to win a seat in the US Senate.
Reacting to the result, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi shared a post on social media platform X, connecting El-Sayed's victory to the political situation in Uttar Pradesh. He wrote, "One Abdul has won in Michigan; now the Abdul in Uttar Pradesh must strengthen his political identity."
Owaisi further wrote, "The Sanghis have tried very hard to turn 'Abdul' into a taunt. The time has come for us to show that Abdul is a slave to no one except Allah. We will no longer lay out the carpets."
Abdul El-Sayed has studied medicine at the University of Michigan and Columbia University. He also earned a doctoral degree from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. El-Sayed is married to Sara Jakkaku, whose parents are of Indian origin.
El-Sayed describes himself as a 'capitalist'. His election campaign primarily focused on the cost of living and other issues. His campaign also showed the influence of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's election campaign from last year.
During his campaign, El-Sayed highlighted several key issues, including Medicare for All to ensure healthcare access for every citizen, ending military assistance to Israel and reforming election funding.
एक अब्दुल मिशिगन में जीत गया, अब उत्तर प्रदेश के अब्दुल को अपनी सियासी पहचान मज़बूत करनी होगी। संघियों ने “अब्दुल” को एक तंज़ में बदलने की बहुत कोशिश की है। वक़्त आ गया है कि हम दिखाएँ कि अब्दुल अल्लाह के सिवा किसी की ग़ुलामी नहीं करता। अब दरी नहीं बिछाएँगे।
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) November 4, 2026
His return to electoral politics comes nearly seven years after he lost the 2018 Democratic primary election for Michigan governor to Gretchen Whitmer by a margin of more than 20 percentage points.
Following that defeat, El-Sayed remained away from active politics for some time. During this period, he launched his own podcast, wrote a book and began making regular appearances on YouTube and television.
His victory in Michigan marks a return to the political spotlight, while Owaisi's response has brought the result into India's political discourse, particularly in the context of Muslim political identity in Uttar Pradesh.
About The Author
Comment List