Shahnawaz Hussain is one of the most prominent leaders of the BJP. He is considered as the Muslim face of the BJP with a strong Hindu base, along with Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Najma Heptulla.While studying for his Diploma in Engineering, he was introduced to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by a friend. He was shocked on being introduced and invited to the RSS; as at that time, he believed that RSS was their enemy. People around him had told him that the RSS hates Muslims and was a Hindutva based organization. After being persuaded by his friend, he paid them a visit and interacted with them and other BJP leaders. Thereafter, he started to understand the ideology of the RSS.He had worked as an engineer in a few private companies before entering into politics.In 1991, he joined the National Executives body of the BJPs Youth Wing and worked under Uma Bharti.He proved to be an inspiration to many new workers in the BJP; as he joined the party at the grassroots level and went on to become the All India Secretary of BJPs Youth Wing.His wife, Renu Sharma, is a Hindu with whom he had an inter-caste marriage. He had to wait 9 years to marry her; as he had to convince their families for the marriage and after they agreed, he got married to Renu in 1994. Although, their families did not get along after their marriage and had differences between them. Shahnawaz Hussain With His Wife Renu.He has two sons and a daughter, and after the birth of his first son, their families came together as one and diminished their differences. Shahnawaz Hussain With Both His Sons.In 1999, he went on to be elected to the 13th Lok Sabha for the first time from the Kishanganj Constituency of Bihar.On 13 October 1999, he was included into the Atal Bihari Vajpayees Cabinet as the Minister of State (MoS), Food Processing Industries. Shahnawaz Hussain With Atal Bihari Vajpayee.He then moved on to become the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, and thereafter, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development. Shahnawaz Hussain Addressing The Parliament As The MoS for Human Resource Development.