Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Oct 30: Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin will be sworn in as a minister in the Telangana Cabinet on Friday, marking his formal entry into chief minister A. Revanth Reddy’s government.
Governor Jishnu Dev Varma will administer the oath of office to Azharuddin at 12:15 p.m. at Raj Bhavan, in the presence of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and other cabinet members, officials confirmed.
The state cabinet had earlier approved Azharuddin’s nomination as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota in August. He is likely to be assigned the Minority Welfare portfolio.
Currently serving as the Working President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) and a member of its Political Affairs Committee, the 62-year-old former cricketer is being inducted into the Cabinet just ahead of the November 11 by-election for the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency.
Azharuddin, who lost from his home constituency in the 2023 Assembly elections, was initially eager to contest again. However, the Congress high command decided to field Naveen Yadav and assured Azharuddin a cabinet berth instead.
His induction raises the total strength of the Telangana Cabinet to 16 ministers, making him the first Muslim minister in Revanth Reddy’s government. The Congress has faced criticism from sections of the Muslim community for not including any Muslim representative in the Cabinet since coming to power nearly two years ago.
Political observers see Azharuddin’s elevation as a strategic move by the Congress to reconnect with Muslim voters, who make up nearly 30 per cent of the electorate in Jubilee Hills. The BRS, during its campaign, has accused the Congress of “betraying” both Azharuddin and the Muslim community by denying him a cabinet role earlier.
Meanwhile, the BJP has objected to the cabinet expansion, urging the Election Commission to intervene. The party claimed the move violates the Model Code of Conduct, arguing that Azharuddin’s appointment is intended to sway voters in the upcoming bypoll.
Azharuddin, who joined the Congress in 2009, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) that same year. Although he contested the 2014 general elections from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan), he did not win. He became the Working President of the Telangana Congress in 2018 and has remained an influential voice in the party’s state unit ever since.