Is Azharuddin Set to Join the Telangana Cabinet?

Hyderabad, Aug 31 (NationPress) Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin is on the verge of being inducted into the Telangana Cabinet after being nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor's quota. This unexpected decision by the Cabinet comes only weeks after Azharuddin had positioned himself as the Congress candidate for the impending by-election in the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency.

Following a defeat in the 2023 elections from his home constituency, he expressed a strong desire to re-enter the political arena, especially since the seat became vacant due to the passing of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Azharuddin’s positive response to the Cabinet’s decision suggests that he was already persuaded by the party leadership to accept the MLC nomination. He conveyed his gratitude on X stating, "Deeply honored and humbled by the Cabinet’s decision to nominate me for the MLC post under the Governor’s quota in Telangana." He affirmed his commitment to serving the state with integrity and dedication.

According to Congress leaders, Azharuddin’s MLC nomination could lead to his inclusion in the State Cabinet, addressing the long-standing demand for Muslim representation. The Congress party has faced criticism from various Muslim community groups for failing to provide adequate representation in the Cabinet, even after 20 months in power. Some groups have labeled this oversight as a betrayal after the Congress secured significant support from Muslims during the elections.

As the Working President of the Telangana Congress unit and a recent appointee to the Political Affairs Committee, Azharuddin was among three Muslim candidates fielded by Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections, none of whom were elected.

In his previous attempt, Azharuddin lost to Gopinath in Jubilee Hills by a margin of 16,337 votes. Gopinath garnered 80,549 votes, while Azharuddin received 64,212, with BJP’s L. Deepak Reddy coming third with 25,866 votes.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, entered the contest, complicating Azharuddin's chances. AIMIM candidate Rashed Farazuddin finished fourth with 7,848 votes.

Former minister and senior leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir, who lost the 2023 election from the Nizamabad Urban constituency, was anticipated to be nominated as MLC to ensure Muslim representation. However, he was instead appointed as an advisor to the state government on BCs, SCs, STs, and minorities.

Several names of Muslim leaders from Congress have surfaced as potential candidates for MLC and ministerial positions.

In a surprising twist, the Congress nominated Amer Ali Khan, news editor of the Urdu daily ‘Siasat’, to the upper house of the state legislature, alongside M. Kodandaram, a former professor and president of Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS). This nomination was interpreted as a gesture of gratitude by Congress for the newspaper’s support during the elections.

However, their appointments were stalled by the High Court following petitions from BRS leaders, leading to a legal dispute over MLC nominations.

After a court ruling, BRS leaders sought to have their nominations reinstated. However, following the Congress's ascendance to power, the Governor denied their request.

Despite challenges, the Cabinet has again recommended Kodandaram and Khan as MLCs, with Governor Jishnu Dev Varma accepting the recommendation. Nevertheless, a subsequent Supreme Court order temporarily halted their appointments.

This development has opened the door for the ruling party to replace Khan with Azharuddin while choosing to retain Kodandaram.

Azharuddin previously served as a Lok Sabha member from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh in 2009 after joining Congress. He contested again in Rajasthan’s Ton-Sawai Madhopur in 2014, but did not succeed.

In 2018, he took on the role of Working President of the state Congress, actively campaigning for the party during the 2018 Assembly elections, but was not fielded in the subsequent Assembly or Lok Sabha polls.

A Cabinet expansion is anticipated in the coming months to fill three existing vacancies.

On December 7, 2023, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and 11 ministers were sworn in. Following a protracted delay, the Cabinet expanded on June 8 this year with the induction of three ministers, yet the Muslim community was overlooked once again.

As the party leadership retains three vacant positions, one is expected to be filled by Azharuddin post his MLC appointment.

The state Cabinet is permitted to have a maximum of 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister.