Congress leader and former Indian team captain Mohammad Azharuddin took oath as a minister in the Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government. He was administered the oath by Governor Jishnu Dev Verma at Raj Bhavan. CM Reddy was also present at the event.
The inclusion of former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin in the Telangana cabinet has sparked a major political controversy, with the BJP strongly opposing the move. BJP leader Shashidhar Reddy criticized the decision, alleging that the Congress government was trying to attract a particular section of voters ahead of the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election. “The proposal to give Mohd Azharuddin a cabinet berth is nothing but an attempt to influence voters in Jubilee Hills and a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct,” Reddy said.
He pointed out that, even though the Model Code of Conduct does not apply to the entire city of Hyderabad, inducting Azharuddin into the state cabinet could unfairly impact the by-election in Jubilee Hills – the constituency where Azharuddin himself is a registered voter. Reddy also reminded that the former Indian cricket captain had contested from the same constituency during the 2023 Assembly elections. “Offering him a ministerial post at this point clearly shows the Congress’s intention to woo a particular voter base in Jubilee Hills,” he added.Responding to the criticism, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin accused both the BJP and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of working together to block Azharuddin’s induction into Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s cabinet. He described the BJP’s objections as an attempt to deny political representation to minority communities.
The Telangana Legislative Assembly has 119 members, and Azharuddin’s appointment is being seen as a strategic move by the Congress, which is putting up a strong fight in the Jubilee Hills by-election, a constituency where over one lakh Muslim voters could play a decisive role. Reports suggest that the Telangana Congress had requested the party’s central leadership to include Azharuddin in the cabinet, noting that there was currently no minority representation. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) later approved his nomination.
With this appointment, Azharuddin becomes the first minister from the minority community in Revanth Reddy’s cabinet. Party insiders believe that the Congress high command’s decision may also have been influenced by the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, where Muslim voters represent a significant section of the electorate.Azharuddin was nominated to the Telangana Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota in late August. The former cricketer had earlier contested unsuccessfully from the Jubilee Hills constituency in the 2023 Assembly elections.
