Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin on Friday, October 31st was sworn in as a Minister in the Telangana Cabinet by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma at Raj Bhavan. While his portfolio is yet to be announced, reports suggest he is likely to handle Sports or Minorities Welfare.
With the inclusion of Azharuddin, the total strength of the cabinet rose to 16, with room for two more. As per the Assembly strength, Telangana can have 18 ministers.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his cabinet colleagues were present on the occasion. As per the report, Azharuddin’s induction marks the second cabinet expansion since the Congress government assumed office in December 2023. In June this year, three MLAs were sworn in as Ministers.
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 bypoll, where over a lakh Muslim voters could play a decisive role.
Azharuddin is not a member of either the legislative assembly or the council yet, which is necessary to become a state minister. He has already been nominated to the legislative council under the Governor’s quota, but the Governor has not yet signed the proposal. He must be inducted as an MLC within the next six months to retain his ministerial post.
