Azharuddin's Political Step: From Cricket to Telangana Cabinet

Mohammad Azharuddin, the former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader, has been inducted as a minister in the Telangana cabinet led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The swearing-in ceremony took place at Raj Bhavan, with Governor Jishnu Dev Verma administering the oath.

The expansion increases the cabinet's strength to 16 members, with two more positions still available in accordance with the Assembly's limit of 18 ministers. Azharuddin's new role is viewed as pivotal for the Congress party's strategy, especially in the Jubilee Hills by-election, an area with significant Muslim voter influence.

The by-election arises from the passing of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June. Although Azharuddin was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota in late August, his appointment is pending Governor Varma's clearance. He previously ran unsuccessfully for the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency in the 2023 elections.