Hyderabad: Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister in Telangana’s Congress government on Friday, sparking immediate protests from the BJP.
The ceremony took place at Raj Bhavan, where Governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered the oath. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s cabinet expansion brought in Azharuddin, a prominent Congress leader from the state, just days ahead of the Jubilee Hills assembly bypoll.
The BJP cried foul. Marri Shashidhar Reddy, the party leader, met with the state’s chief electoral officer and demanded a halt to the swearing-in. He argued that appointing Azharuddin – a Jubilee Hills voter and a Congress candidate in 2023 – amounts to influencing voters and violates the model code of conduct.
“This is a clear attempt to sway a particular community before the by-election,” Shashidhar Reddy said.
Congress hit back hard. Spokesperson Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy accused the BJP of intolerance towards a successful minority leader. “They can’t stomach a Muslim icon rising in public life,” he said, alleging the saffron party was stoking communal tensions in the constituency.
Another Congress voice, Addanki Dayakar, defended Azharuddin’s inclusion. “He brought glory to India on the cricket field. Questioning his appointment on communal lines is shameful,” Dayakar said. He pointed out that the BJP itself expanded Rajasthan’s cabinet just 20 days before a bypoll without facing similar criticism.
The verbal exchange has intensified the Jubilee Hills contest, placing Azharuddin’s new role at the forefront.