HYDERABAD: IT is quite rare to find a farmer-turned-politician stick to his roots, especially after finding success in his new vocation. But Mohammad Mahmood Ali is that rare breed of political leaders who even after serving as the deputy chief minister of the country’s youngest State, has not given up on his first love - animal farming.
Mahmood Ali, who is currently serving as the Home Minister in TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao’s Cabinet, in fact has been pursuing his first‘profession’ with same commitment and determination.
If one goes by the affidavit, submitted by him to the Election Commission of India ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, there has been not much increase in the wealth amassed, but the number of buffaloes reared in his farm has gone up considerably, up 100 to be precise.
Back in 2013, when he was elected as the member of the legislative council, Ali had 85 buffalos that were valued at Rs 20 lakh. He used to maintain them in a tin shed.
However, as days and years rolled by, Ali’s fondness to buffalos seem to have only grown as he added 15 more to his early count of 85 buffalos, which are now valued at Rs 42 lakh, and most of them are housed in his farmhouse in Azampura.
Interestingly, Ali showed his love for his animals by participating in last year Sadar festivities in Musheerabad. Ali and his wife Nasreen Fathima also own a function hall named ‘Azam Function Hall’ as per affidavit submitted to the ECI. Ali’s wife also owns agricultural land in Appajipally in Nagarkurnool.
All “immovable assets” that the couple owns amounts to Rs 3.67 crore. This was, however, less in 2013 when the couple claimed to have “immovable” assets worth Rs 1.95 crore. In 2013, Ali specified that his movable assets were Rs 57 lakh and immovable assets valued at Rs 1.4 crore. His wife Nasreen Fathima had movable assets of Rs 13.4 lakh and immovable assets at Rs 45 lakh.
In 2018, Ali’s movable assets saw a near 50 per cent jump to Rs 1.07 crore. His immovable assets also doubled as they stood at Rs 2.2 crore. Nasreen Fathima’s movable assets tripled to `38 lakh and immovable assets to Rs 1.45 crore. Ali specified that his major source of “income” was through dairy farm, salary as deputy chief minister and “rental” from function hall.
Love for animals
The minister showed his love for his animals by participating in last year Sadar festivities in Musheerabad. In 2013, when he was elected as the member of the legislative council, Ali had 85 buffalos that were valued at `20 lakh. His fondness for buffalos seem to have only grown as he has added 15 more.