Azeez Sait

Azeez Sait belonged to a family of clothiers whose patrons included the Mysore royal family. His father Abdul Sattar Sait had a Departmental store in Lakshmi complex, opposite the clock tower. Azeez Sait worked in this shop for 17 years before venturing into public life. in 1952, Azeez Sait managed the campaign of advocate Mohammad Shariff in Mandi Mohalla. He was also an active labor leader. He was the founder-president of the Mysore District Beedi Mazdoor Federation. He was the first Muslim to be elected as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) for Mysore, Mandya, Kodagu and Hassan.[3]

He was first elected to the State Assembly in 1967 after completing his tenure as an MLC. He was an active member and participated in a three-day dharna in the State Assembly. He was the Chairman of the Karnataka Tourism Development Corporation from 1973 to 1977. He contested Lok Sabha Election from Dharwad and won in 1984.[4][5] Sait was considered a stormy petrel of Karnataka politics. served as Minister for Labour, Transport, Tourism, Wakf, and Revenue. Besides being the first Muslim member of the State Legislative Council, he was also a legislator for an uninterrupted tenure of 18 years from 1967 to December 1984.

Sait was a Transport Minister in the Devaraj Urs Ministry. He was a seasoned politician, was a right-hand man of the late Devraj Urs and minister in his Cabinet.[6] He was also a minister in the Bangarappa Cabinet. In 1982, he joined the Janata Party and became a minister in the first non-Congress Government in Karnataka. In the 1994 assembly election, Sait was defeated by Maruti Rao Pawar. In 1999, he avenged the defeat and returned to the State Assembly from same Narasimharaja Constituency.

Azeez Sait was also the National Chairman of AICC Minorities Wing.[7]

In 2001, At the age of 80, Azeez Sait died in a hospital in Mysore following a cardiac arrest. He is survived by wife, two sons, and six daughters.[8]