Azharuddin Inducted Into Telangana Cabinet, Portfolios Revealed

Days after former Indian cricket team captain and ex-Lok Sabha MP Mohammad Azharuddin took oath to join the Telangana cabinet, the Congress government announced his portfolios on Tuesday (November 4).

It has been learned that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has assigned Public Enterprises and Minority Welfare portfolios to Azharuddin. Earlier, there were rumours that the former MP might be given the Home portfolio. The latest announcement has now cleared the air regarding his ministerial responsibilities.

The Public Enterprises portfolio was previously handled by the Chief Minister, while Adluri Laxman Kumar was in-charge for Minorities Welfare.

Azharuddin’s oath-taking ceremony has been a point of contention for opposition parties in Telangana. Governor Jishnu Dev Verma administered the oath at Raj Bhavan on October 31, in the presence of Chief Minister Reddy and other cabinet colleagues.

However, the timing of his induction has drawn criticism from the BJP, which alleged that it violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) ahead of the Jubilee Hills bypoll scheduled for November 11. BRS Working President KT Rama Rao also mocked the Congress, calling Azharuddin’s induction a desperate attempt to influence the bypoll.

The Telangana BJP unit filed a complaint with the State Election Commission, arguing that the move breached election norms. Citing a precedent, BJP MLA Payal Shankar recalled that in Goa, former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had postponed a minister’s swearing-in due to MCC enforcement.

It may be noted that nearly 25% of voters in Jubilee Hills belong to the Muslim community. Despite objections, the Congress government went ahead with the oath-taking ceremony.

Dismissing criticism from the BJP and BRS, Azharuddin said his immediate focus would be on ensuring a Congress victory in the Jubilee Hills bypoll.