Former Team India skipper Azharuddin likely to be sworn in as Telangana minister today
With the addition of Azharuddin, the Telangana cabinet will utilise one of the three remaining vacancies permitted under current rules, as the Assembly consists of 119 legislators.
- Oct 31, 2025,
- Updated Oct 31, 2025 10:14 AM IST
Mohammad Azharuddin, former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader, is likely to be sworn in as a cabinet minister in the Telangana government on October 31, according to news agency sources. This move will make Azharuddin the first minister from the minority community in Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s fifteen-member cabinet, which currently has no minority representation.
The swearing-in comes as the Congress is engaged in an intense campaign for the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election, with over 100,000 Muslim voters expected to play a significant role in the outcome.
The Congress party's decision to induct Azharuddin follows requests from Telangana Congress leaders to the party’s senior leadership to address the lack of minority representation in the state cabinet. The All India Congress Committee approved Azharuddin’s inclusion, and preparations for the ceremony were confirmed by party sources.
With the addition of Azharuddin, the Telangana cabinet will utilise one of the three remaining vacancies permitted under current rules, as the Assembly consists of 119 legislators. Azharuddin, who was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota in August, awaits formal appointment by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.
Azharuddin had unsuccessfully contested the Jubilee Hills Assembly seat in the 2023 elections. The Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election was necessitated by the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath earlier this year. The Congress is hoping that Azharuddin’s induction will bolster its prospects among minority voters in Jubilee Hills.
However, the decision has drawn criticism from opposition parties. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy questioned the timing and intent behind Azharuddin’s appointment. "The Congress party should tell the people why it is abruptly making a candidate (Azharuddin), who lost the Jubilee Hills seat (during the 2023 Assembly polls), a minister. Why the sudden love for minorities when the bypoll is just a week away? For whose benefit is he being made a minister, whom to please?," the Union Coal and Mines Minister told reporters.
Reddy further alleged that the Congress is seeking to appease the AIMIM. He accused the Congress of encouraging defections and filing false cases to influence the outcome of the by-election.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka responded by alleging that the BJP was attempting to pressure the Governor not to administer the oath to Azharuddin. "It came to light that the Bharatiya Janata Party is putting pressure on the Governor not to administer oath to Azharuddin. Though the Governor is a great person and will not succumb to the pressure, the BJP is trying its best," the Deputy CM said.
THE SKIPPER-POLITICIAN
Mohammad Azharuddin served as captain of the Indian national cricket team, steering the side through a period of significant achievements in the 1990s. Appointed captain in 1989 following Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Azharuddin led India in 47 Test matches and 174 One Day Internationals, securing 14 Test victories and 90 ODI wins – both milestones that would later be surpassed by Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni. As a right-handed middle order batter and occasional medium fast bowler, he played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs, gaining recognition as one of the leading ODI batsmen of his era.
Azharuddin's individual performances included a memorable 121 at Lord's during India's 1990 tour of England. Vic Marks, former England cricketer, described it as "the most dazzling Test century" he had ever witnessed. Azharuddin concluded the series with 426 runs at an average of 85.20, then the highest by an Indian captain in a Test series in England. He also achieved a tenth Test century with a score of 179 at Manchester, forming a 112-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar in the first innings.
Under Azharuddin's leadership, India claimed the 1990–91 and 1995 Asia Cup titles, defeating Sri Lanka in both finals and earning Azharuddin the Man of the Match award on each occasion. He captained India in three consecutive Cricket World Cups, guiding the team to the semi-finals in 1996 after beating Pakistan in the quarter-finals. His tenure concluded after a lifetime ban in 2000 due to match fixing allegations, a decision later overturned by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2012.
Mohammad Azharuddin, former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader, is likely to be sworn in as a cabinet minister in the Telangana government on October 31, according to news agency sources. This move will make Azharuddin the first minister from the minority community in Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s fifteen-member cabinet, which currently has no minority representation.
The swearing-in comes as the Congress is engaged in an intense campaign for the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election, with over 100,000 Muslim voters expected to play a significant role in the outcome.
The Congress party's decision to induct Azharuddin follows requests from Telangana Congress leaders to the party’s senior leadership to address the lack of minority representation in the state cabinet. The All India Congress Committee approved Azharuddin’s inclusion, and preparations for the ceremony were confirmed by party sources.
With the addition of Azharuddin, the Telangana cabinet will utilise one of the three remaining vacancies permitted under current rules, as the Assembly consists of 119 legislators. Azharuddin, who was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota in August, awaits formal appointment by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.
Azharuddin had unsuccessfully contested the Jubilee Hills Assembly seat in the 2023 elections. The Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election was necessitated by the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath earlier this year. The Congress is hoping that Azharuddin’s induction will bolster its prospects among minority voters in Jubilee Hills.
However, the decision has drawn criticism from opposition parties. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy questioned the timing and intent behind Azharuddin’s appointment. "The Congress party should tell the people why it is abruptly making a candidate (Azharuddin), who lost the Jubilee Hills seat (during the 2023 Assembly polls), a minister. Why the sudden love for minorities when the bypoll is just a week away? For whose benefit is he being made a minister, whom to please?," the Union Coal and Mines Minister told reporters.
Reddy further alleged that the Congress is seeking to appease the AIMIM. He accused the Congress of encouraging defections and filing false cases to influence the outcome of the by-election.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka responded by alleging that the BJP was attempting to pressure the Governor not to administer the oath to Azharuddin. "It came to light that the Bharatiya Janata Party is putting pressure on the Governor not to administer oath to Azharuddin. Though the Governor is a great person and will not succumb to the pressure, the BJP is trying its best," the Deputy CM said.
THE SKIPPER-POLITICIAN
Mohammad Azharuddin served as captain of the Indian national cricket team, steering the side through a period of significant achievements in the 1990s. Appointed captain in 1989 following Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Azharuddin led India in 47 Test matches and 174 One Day Internationals, securing 14 Test victories and 90 ODI wins – both milestones that would later be surpassed by Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni. As a right-handed middle order batter and occasional medium fast bowler, he played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs, gaining recognition as one of the leading ODI batsmen of his era.
Azharuddin's individual performances included a memorable 121 at Lord's during India's 1990 tour of England. Vic Marks, former England cricketer, described it as "the most dazzling Test century" he had ever witnessed. Azharuddin concluded the series with 426 runs at an average of 85.20, then the highest by an Indian captain in a Test series in England. He also achieved a tenth Test century with a score of 179 at Manchester, forming a 112-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar in the first innings.
Under Azharuddin's leadership, India claimed the 1990–91 and 1995 Asia Cup titles, defeating Sri Lanka in both finals and earning Azharuddin the Man of the Match award on each occasion. He captained India in three consecutive Cricket World Cups, guiding the team to the semi-finals in 1996 after beating Pakistan in the quarter-finals. His tenure concluded after a lifetime ban in 2000 due to match fixing allegations, a decision later overturned by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2012.