Madhya Pradesh has reconstituted its Waqf board under the new law on the directions of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and for the first time, two Hindu members have been given a place on the panel. A Waqf board is the body that manages properties donated for religious and charitable purposes, and until now, membership had been reserved entirely for the Muslim community, which is what makes this development such a sharp break from past practice. This marks the first time any state's Waqf board has inducted non-Muslim members, putting Madhya Pradesh in the spotlight once again. Manoj Malpani from Indore and Animesh Bhargava from Guna have been appointed as members of the new board, and the state government has formalised the change by issuing a notification in the official gazette. Using the provisions of Sections 13 and 14 of the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Act 1995, amended in 2025, Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to constitute a new Waqf board under the amended law.
Sanwar Patel Returns as Chairman
The newly formed board will once again be headed by Sanwar Patel, who also chaired the previous board, so his experience is expected to help the new team settle in quickly. The board has ten members in total, and Manoj Malpani and Animesh Bhargava are the two Hindu faces making history as the first non-Muslim members ever named to it. The other members include MLA Atif Aqeel from Bhopal North, Faizan Khan from Ujjain, Najma Heptulla from New Delhi, corporator Shaista Sultan from Berasia, Fatema Chaudhary from Indore, and corporator Shabana Khan from Ratlam. The Commissioner of the Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Department has also been made an ex officio member, while Animesh Bhargava specifically hails from the Raghogarh area of Guna district. The list therefore brings together sitting legislators, elected corporators and community representatives on one platform, alongside the two newly added Hindu members.
Najma Heptulla's Term Still Has Time Left
The state government's notification makes clear that Najma Heptulla will continue on the new board because her term has not yet ended. She was selected in 2023 under the Waqf Act, and under the rules her term runs until 18 April 2028. That is why, even though the earlier board has been dissolved, she has been retained in the new list for her remaining tenure, rather than her term being cut short midway by the reconstitution.
A Landmark Shift for the Waqf Board
By following the provisions of the amended Waqf law of 2025, Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to build a new board under it. Bringing in non-Muslim members like Manoj Malpani and Animesh Bhargava is being seen as a significant step in the history of the Waqf board, since no state's Waqf board had ever counted a Hindu among its members before this. The entire move is being viewed as a sign of how quickly the Madhya Pradesh government is moving to put the new law into practice, and it may well become a reference point for other states as they work out how to apply the same amended provisions.
