Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister in the Telangana cabinet on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad. Governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered the oath of office and secrecy, marking Azharuddin’s entry as the first Muslim representative in Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s council since its formation in December 2023. The induction fills a vacancy that had persisted for over a year and brings the cabinet strength to 16 out of a sanctioned limit of 18.

Azharuddin’s political trajectory includes a stint as Member of Parliament from Moradabad in 2009 and an unsuccessful assembly bid from Jubilee Hills in 2023. His nomination to the Telangana Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota, submitted in August, remains pending approval. Constitutional provisions under Article 164 require him to secure membership in either house within six months to retain the ministerial position.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly opposed the timing of the induction, viewing it as a calculated move to influence the November 11 bypoll in Jubilee Hills, a constituency with nearly 30 percent Muslim voters. The party has filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct through the appointment of a recent poll aspirant to a cabinet post. BJP leaders contend that such elevation constitutes misuse of governmental authority to sway electoral outcomes.

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The Congress has defended the decision as fulfillment of its commitment to minority representation and social equity. Telangana Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud stated that previous administrations, including those in undivided Andhra Pradesh, consistently included minority voices in the cabinet. He emphasized that the induction corrects a structural imbalance and aligns with the party’s pre-election assurances.

In response to BJP criticism, Goud highlighted a precedent where the BJP elevated an election candidate to ministerial rank in Rajasthan, only for the individual to be defeated by a Congress opponent. The Congress maintains that Azharuddin’s inclusion strengthens inclusive governance and reflects democratic norms rather than electoral strategy.

With the bypoll approaching, the development has intensified political discourse in Hyderabad. Portfolio allocation for Azharuddin is awaited, with expectations that his background in sports administration may be leveraged in relevant departments. The episode underscores ongoing tensions over representation, electoral conduct, and institutional propriety in Telangana’s evolving political landscape.

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