Congress leader and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin took oath as minister. Governor Jishnu Dev Verma administered him the oath. The Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had proposed to include Mohammad Azharuddin in the cabinet. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had expressed strong objection to this. BJP linked the decision to Jubilee Hills Bypoll and called it a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

BJP’s Election Commission Affairs Committee Chairman Marri Sashidhar Reddy met Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudarshan Reddy. He had demanded to stop the swearing-in ceremony. BJP says that Azharuddin becoming a minister is an attempt to influence voters before the Jubilee Hills by-election. Marri Shashidhar Reddy said that Azharuddin is a voter of Jubilee Hills and was also a Congress candidate in 2023. In such a situation, this step is an attempt to sway the voters in favor of a particular class. This step of BJP is completely against the election code of conduct.

#WATCH Hyderabad, Telangana: Congress leader and former Cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin takes oath as Minister at Raj Bhavan. Governor Jishnu Dev Verma administers the oath to him.

(Video Source: I&PR Telangana) pic.twitter.com/oGRIydcCVe

— ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2025

BJP cannot tolerate the success of minority leader

Congress gave a sharp reply to BJP’s allegations calling it communal politics. State Congress spokesperson and MP Chamla Kiran Kumar Reddy said that BJP cannot see a prominent minority leader coming into the cabinet. She is inciting communal sentiments in Jubilee Hills. Congress also accused BJP of making a secret agreement with Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) to prevent Congress from strengthening its secular image.

On the matter, Congress spokesperson Addanki Dayakar said that Azharuddin is the pride of the country. He made India proud on the cricket field. Making communal comments on him is extremely unfortunate. He reminded BJP that BJP itself had expanded the cabinet 20 days before the by-elections in Rajasthan. It was not considered a violation of the code of conduct at that time.

Also read: Dularchand murder case: Who are Karmaveer and Rajveer whose names came up? Grandson said- Anant Singh shot

Former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, who has hit sixes on the cricket pitch, is also seen hitting sixes on the political pitch. There is news that he will be included in the Telangana cabinet. He will take oath as minister on October 31.

Important decision during election period
The Congress government has taken the decision to include Azharuddin in the cabinet at the same time when by-elections are to be held in Jubilee Hills on November 11. The number of Muslim votes in this seat is quite high and it is believed that Azharuddin’s entry will strengthen the support of the minority community in favor of Congress.

Azharuddin had recently reached the Legislative Council
In August this year, Azharuddin was nominated as a Legislative Council member from the Governor quota. This nomination happened when the Supreme Court had canceled the two earlier nominations of Kodandaram and Aamir Ali Khan. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had included the names of both Kodandaram and Azharuddin in the revised list.

Trying to send a message to the Muslim community
Till now there was no Muslim minister in the Congress government. Because of this, the resentment of the minority community was visible from inside and outside the party. By making Azharuddin a minister, Congress has tried to give the message that it wants to give representation to all sections.

Revanth Reddy cabinet will now have 16 ministers
After Azharuddin’s inclusion, the number of ministers in Revanth Reddy cabinet will increase to 16. There can be a total of 18 members (including the Chief Minister) in the Telangana Council of Ministers. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was sworn in on December 7, 2023, when Congress defeated Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the elections. The first cabinet was formed on the same day, while the first expansion took place in June 2025, in which three new ministers were added.

Azharuddin is related to Jubilee Hills
Azharuddin had contested the 2023 assembly elections as a Congress candidate from Jubilee Hills seat, but lost to BRS’s Maganti Gopinath. By-election is being held on this seat after the death of Gopinath in June this year. Congress is trying its best to win this seat and it is believed that Azharuddin’s popularity can prove beneficial for the party.

Azharuddin’s journey in politics
Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin entered politics from Congress in 2009 and won the Lok Sabha elections from Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh). In 2014, he contested the elections from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur seat of Rajasthan, but lost. In 2018, he was made the working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and in 2023 he contested the assembly elections from Jubilee Hills.