Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin took oath as a minister in the Telangana cabinet on Friday. Earlier, the Raj Bhawan announced that Azharuddin sworn in on Friday morning, with Governor Jishnu Dev Varma administering the oath.
Mohammad Azharuddin sworn as Minister
The news of Azharuddin joining the Telangana cabinet stirred controversy, as the BJP strongly opposed the decision. “The plan to give a cabinet position to Mohd Azharuddin is just a way to attract votes from a certain group of voters in the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election. It also violates the model code of conduct,” said BJP’s Shashidhar Reddy.
He noted that while the model code of conduct did not apply to all of Hyderabad, bringing Azharuddin into the state cabinet could negatively impact the by-election in Jubilee Hills, where the former cricketer is a voter. Reddy also highlighted that Azharuddin ran as a candidate from the Jubilee Hills constituency in the 2023 assembly elections. “Thus, offering him a ministry reflects the Congress’s dishonest intention to win over certain voters in Jubilee Hills,” he said.
TPCC accused saffron party
In response to the BJP’s criticism, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin accused the saffron party and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of working together to block Mohammad Azharuddin from joining Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s cabinet. He described the complaint as an attempt to deny minorities political representation.
The Telangana Assembly has 119 members. Azharuddin’s appointment to the ministry is seen as vital, as the Congress party is fighting hard in the Jubilee Hills by-election, where over a hundred thousand Muslim voters could have a significant impact.
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