Why is Azharuddin Feeling Deeply Honoured by His MLC Nomination?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Azharuddin expresses deep honor and humility regarding his MLC nomination.
- Gratitude extended to key Congress leaders for their support.
- Committed to serving Telangana with integrity.
- Unexpected nomination amidst speculation about upcoming elections.
- Political journey includes previous Lok Sabha elections and party leadership roles.
Hyderabad, Aug 31 (NationPress) Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammed Azharuddin expressed his feelings of deep honor and humility following the Telangana Cabinet's recent announcement to nominate him as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota.
Taking to ‘X’, Azharuddin extended his gratitude to All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as prominent Congress figures Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and K.C. Venugopal for their unwavering trust and blessings.
He also expressed appreciation for Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) head Mahesh Kumar Goud, and AICC in-charge for Telangana Meenakshi Natrajan for their continuous guidance and support. “I am committed to serving our state with integrity and dedication,” he stated.
Recently, the Telangana Cabinet decided to nominate M. Kodandaram as MLC under the Governor’s quota.
During the Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the recommendation for their names was made to Governor Jishnu Dev Varma for MLC nominations.
This decision followed a Supreme Court order that temporarily halted the appointments of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs.
Both Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan had previously been sworn in as MLCs about a year ago.
Azharuddin's nomination was unexpected, as it was anticipated that the ruling Congress party would consider him for the upcoming by-election in the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency. The state cabinet, which convened on Saturday, chose to nominate him instead of Amer Ali Khan.
The by-election for the Jubilee Hills seat was necessitated by the passing of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Gopinath had previously defeated Azharuddin by over 16,000 votes in the 2023 elections before his unfortunate demise on June 8 due to cardiac arrest.
As the Working President of the Telangana Congress, Azharuddin had indicated his intention to run for the by-election.
However, State Congress President Mahesh Kumar Goud noted that the party had yet to finalize the candidate.
In 2009, Azharuddin was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Moradabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh, shortly after joining the Congress party. In 2014, he contested from Rajasthan’s Ton-Sawai Madhopur but lost the election.
He was appointed as the Working President of the Telangana Congress in 2018 and actively campaigned for the party in the 2018 Assembly elections; however, he was not nominated for either the Assembly or Lok Sabha elections.