Hyderabad, Oct 29 (PTI) Congress leader and former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin is likely to be sworn in as minister in Telangana Cabinet on Friday, official sources said on Thursday.
The present cabinet comprises 15 members, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy with no representation from Minorities. As per the provisions there is still room for three more members in the cabinet.
Telangana Assembly has 119 legislators.
The former cricketer’s appointment to the ministry is seen as a crucial step, as the Congress party has been fighting tooth and nail in the Jubilee Hills by-poll, where over a lakh Muslim voters could play a decisive role.
The bypoll is necessitated due to the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year, following a heart attack.
“Azharuddin’s swearing-in ceremony as a cabinet minister will be held at 12.15 PM tomorrow ( October 31 ),” the sources told PTI.
There has been a request from Telangana Congress to the senior leadership of Congress to include Azharuddin in the cabinet as currently there is no representation of minorities in the cabinet. AICC also approved Azharuddin’s name. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held on Friday, Congress sources had earlier said.
With the induction, the former cricketers will be the first minister from the minority community in Revanth Reddy’s cabinet.
Another Congress leader suggested that the AICC may have shown inclination towards Azharuddin’s induction in view of the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, where Muslim voters constitute a significant bloc in the eastern state.
Azharuddin was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota by the Telangana government in August last week. However, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma is yet to clear the appointment.
He unsuccessfully contested from Jubilee Hills Assembly segment in 2023 polls. PTI GDK ROH
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