Around 1961, my father joined the city council and served for several terms. I became a member of the same council in 1969. For many years, I was also active in trade associations and served as the president of the guild council. I was accustomed to these activities, acting honestly and in the interest of the people. In one of the city council elections, out of 24,000 participants, 21,900 voted for me; I still have the documents, endorsed by the governor and city notables, to prove it. At that time, when I received 21,000 votes, Karaj had a population of approximately 300,000. Now, with a population of three million, candidates do not receive that many votes, even though they are elected under the same conditions. I lived a life close to the people, which resulted in my leading the polls without any advertising expenses or force. I had formidable competitors, like Mr. Aalikhani, who was father of the Minister of Economy, Mr. Mahmoud Kamali, a well-known figure, and Dr. Riahi, the dean of the Agriculture College in Karaj; none had as many votes as I did. Serving the people has this impact; I tirelessly worked for the people and served them sincerely.
The same happened in the commerce council elections, where I didn’t receive a single opposing vote. In the guild council, fifty different trades were divided into fourteen groups. For example, painters, bodyshop workers, electricians, etc., were part of the automobile repair group; restaurants, butchers, food vendors, and the like were in another group. All fourteen groups unanimously voted for me, which was recorded in the credential.