Razia Sultana served as a cabinet minister in the Punjab government from 2017 to 2022, holding significant portfolios and representing the Malerkotla constituency. Born in 1966 in Malerkotla, she came from a middle-class Muslim family and completed her tenth-grade education before pursuing a career in politics. She is married to Mohammad Mustafa, a decorated IPS officer who had a distinguished career in the Punjab Police and later became a key advisor to politician Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Sultana’s political journey began in the early 2000s. She was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly three times on a Congress ticket: in 2002, 2007, and 2017. Her 2017 victory was particularly notable, as she won against her own brother, Muhammad Arshad, who was contesting on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket. This familial contest highlighted the complex political dynamics within the Malerkotla constituency, the only Muslim-majority area in Punjab. As the lone Muslim MLA in the state, Sultana was a significant voice for minority communities.
From 2017 to 2021, under the leadership of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Razia Sultana served as the Transport Minister. During her tenure, she focused on systematic reforms to combat the illegal “transport mafia” by taking action against buses operating without proper permits and implementing vehicle tracking systems. She also launched road safety awareness campaigns and oversaw employment generation initiatives, including the appointment of 170 candidates to various positions within the department.
In 2021, she was reallocated new portfolios under Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s government, taking charge of Water Supply and Sanitation, Social Security, and Women and Child Development. Although this stint was brief, she made a significant impact. She spearheaded the Har Ghar Pani, Har Ghar Safai Mission, which aimed to provide clean drinking water to all rural households. Her efforts led to the implementation of Punjab’s first solar-based water supply projects and the supervision of multiple canal-based projects designed to provide clean water to villages affected by water contamination. She also promoted digital innovation by launching an app for sanitation reporting.