The proposed induction of senior Congress leader and former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin into the Telangana cabinet headed by chief minister A Revanth Reddy has kicked up a political storm in the state.
According to an official statement from Raj Bhavan, Azharuddin will be formally inducted into the state cabinet at a brief ceremony on Friday noon.
“State governor Jishnu Dev Varma will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Azharuddin at Raj Bhavan on Friday morning, in the presence of the chief minister and other cabinet colleagues,” the Congress leader said.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took strong exception to the Azharuddin’s induction into the state cabinet ahead of the by-election to Jubilee Hills assembly seat, polling for which is scheduled for November 11.
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A delegation of the Telangana BJP led by party’s election commission affairs committee chairman Marri Shashidhar Reddy met chief electoral officer C Sudarshan Reddy at his chambers and requested him to stall the swearing-in ceremony.
{{/usCountry}}A delegation of the Telangana BJP led by party’s election commission affairs committee chairman Marri Shashidhar Reddy met chief electoral officer C Sudarshan Reddy at his chambers and requested him to stall the swearing-in ceremony.
{{/usCountry}}“The proposal to give cabinet berth to Mohd Azharuddin is nothing but an attempt to woo and garner the votes of a section of the voters in the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election and a gross violation of model code of conduct,” Shashidhar Reddy said.
The BJP leader said though the model code of conduct was not applicable to the entire city of Hyderabad, the proposal to induct Azharuddin into the state cabinet would adversely affect the by-election in the Jubilee Hills constituency, of which the former cricketer is a voter.
Shashidhar Reddy also pointed out that Azharuddin had contested as a candidate from Jubilee Hills constituency in the 2023 assembly elections. “So, offering him a ministry is nothing but a mala fide intention of the Congress to woo a section of voters in the Jubilee Hills assembly constituency,” he said.
The Congress, however, hit back at the BJP for trying to derail Azharuddin’s induction into the state cabinet. Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy alleged that the BJP was “unable to tolerate” the Congress move to include a prominent minority leader in the cabinet,
“The BJP is playing divisive politics by trying to inflame communal sentiments in Jubilee Hills. Another opposition party Bharat Rashtra Samithi is secretly supporting this agenda,” Reddy said, claiming that the two parties had struck a “hidden deal” during the last Lok Sabha elections that helped BJP win eight seats in Telangana.
He accused BJP and BRS of a “joint conspiracy” to prevent the Congress from strengthening its secular base.
Reddy pointed out that the BJP had also taken up cabinet expansion in other states ahead of the by-elections. He cited the example of Surender Pal Singh, who was appointed a minister in Rajasthan just 20 days before a by-election to the Sri Karanpur constituency in December 2023.
“When BJP does it, it’s acceptable. But when a secular government appoints a minority leader, they cry foul,” Reddy said.
He accused the BJP of pressuring the governor to stall the cabinet expansion and of “targeting Azharuddin solely because he belongs to a minority community.”
Another Congress spokesperson Addanki Dayakar accused the BJP of communal bias. “Azharuddin served the nation with distinction as India’s cricket captain. He brought global fame to Hyderabad and inspired generations. Yet, BJP and BRS are conspiring to stop him from taking oath as a minister,” Dayakar said.
AZHARUDDIN ONLY MINORITY IN CABINET
According to the Congress leader quoted above, Azharuddin is being given the cabinet berth, as there are no minority ministers in the Revanth Reddy cabinet. At present, there are three vacancies in the cabinet, and the remaining two posts may be filled in December, party leaders added.
Interestingly, Azharuddin is not currently a member of either the assembly or the state legislative council. Though the Revanth Reddy government recommended his name for the MLC post, along with Prof M Kodandaram, under governor’s quota in August this year, the file has been pending with the Raj Bhavan due to an ongoing case before the Supreme Court regarding gubernatorial nominations.
“If the verdict is delayed or goes against the state’s plea, the government will have to explore alternate routes to secure Azharuddin’s legislative berth. Under the Constitutional provisions, a non-legislator inducted as minister must become a member of the legislature within six months,” the party leader said.