He won the elections. By then Hussain was only 30 years old.
He was appointed Minister of State and held various portfolios such as food processing industries, youth affairs and sports and human resource development at different times.
Under the NDA Government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee, Hussain was sworn in as Union Minister of State (MOS) for Food Processing and Industries in October, 1999. Subsequently, he also held portfolios of MOS, Youth Affairs and Sports; MOS, Human Resource Development and MOS (Independent Charge) Coal.
He was given independent charge of the Ministry of Coal in 2001 and was elevated to the rank of a Cabinet Minister with Civil Aviation portfolio in September 2001, thereby becoming the youngest Cabinet Minister ever in the Government of India.