Haryana native, 23, becomes UK's youngest Indian-origin mayor

LONDON: Britain's youngest Indian-origin councillor at 20 has gone on to become the country's youngest Indian-origin mayor three years later.

Tushar Kumar, who lived in Haryana's Rohtak until he was 10, was elected mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council last week, marking a quick transition from rookie councillor to deputy mayor to the top of the hierarchy.

When he first became a councillor in May 2023, Tushar was a second-year undergraduate student at King's College London, studying for a BSc in Politics. His parents, who work in education, had moved to the UK from Rohtak 13 years ago.

Tushar was elected a Labour councillor with 832 votes, beating the Conservative candidate by a single vote after a recount. The Conservatives had held that seat for three decades.

His mother, Parveen Rani, who he credits with being his main source of inspiration, also contested and won a seat on the Hertsmere Borough Council and later became deputy mayor.

As mayor, Tushar has a civic role and will be attending events, championing the community and supporting charities and local groups. The young man said he plans to be as accessible as can be and not be seen as someone "above the public".

Having graduated, he is currently working full-time and plans to start a master's in political economy at UCL this Sept. He will continue to be mayor while pursuing a higher degree.

"I really want to focus on inspiring young people to engage with community life and public service," Tushar said.

He visits India often to give talks at schools and universities. "I am very much connected to India. My mum has taught me to stay rooted to my culture and heritage," he said, adding that he organised the council's first Diwali celebration, which is now an annual event.

Kumar, who has five A levels and 21 GCSES, said his family had no background in politics in India and that he could not picture himself being involved in politics in his native country. "Politics in India is very different and difficult to get into. I think there are more opportunities here in the UK," he said.

Tushar's mother is the founder of Hindi Shiksha Parishad UK, which offers free Hindi-language classes. He volunteers there whenever his schedule permits it.

As for his career ambitions, Tushar aspires to be nothing less than the PM of the UK. "It was definitely a huge inspiration seeing Rishi Sunak becoming PM," he said.