Mohammad Azharuddin Sworn In as Telangana Minister Amid BJP Objection

Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin took oath as a Telangana cabinet minister on Friday. The ceremony was held at Raj Bhawan, where Governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered the oath.

The announcement of Azharuddin’s induction into the state cabinet had sparked a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly objecting to the move. BJP leader Shashidhar Reddy alleged that the appointment was an attempt to “woo a section of voters” ahead of the Jubilee Hills by-election, calling it a violation of the model code of conduct.

Reddy argued that, although the code of conduct was not applicable across Hyderabad, inducting Azharuddin — a registered voter and former candidate from Jubilee Hills — could influence the by-election outcome. “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.

Responding to the criticism, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin accused the BJP and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of attempting to block Azharuddin’s appointment. He termed the opposition’s objections as “an effort to deny minorities their rightful political representation.”

The 119-member Telangana Assembly currently had no minister from the minority community, prompting state Congress leaders to request Azharuddin’s inclusion in Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s cabinet. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) later approved his name.

Azharuddin’s induction is being viewed as a strategic move by the Congress to strengthen its position in the Jubilee Hills by-poll, where Muslim voters form a sizable electorate. Party insiders also suggest that the AICC may have considered the appointment keeping in mind the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, where Muslim votes hold significant influence.

In August, Azharuddin was nominated to the Telangana Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota. He had earlier contested unsuccessfully from the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency in the 2023 state elections.

With his induction, Azharuddin becomes the first minister from the minority community in Revanth Reddy’s cabinet.