Bengaluru, Nov. 5 -- A small coastal town in Karnataka has found an unexpected connection with the corridors of American power. Bhatkal, in Uttara Kannada district, is now drawing attention after Democrat Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, with his wife's family tracing its roots to the town and carrying a remarkable political legacy.
Behind this transcontinental connection lies the story of JH Shamsuddin Jukaku, a lawyer, educationist and politician from Bhatkal who rose to become Deputy Finance Minister of the erstwhile Mysore State in the 1950s. His granddaughter, Dr Sarah Jukaku, is married to El-Sayed, bringing a family legacy from coastal Karnataka into the spotlight following his electoral victory in Mi...