Mohammad Azharuddin Set To Join Telangana Cabinet As Minister Tomorrow

Former Indian cricket captain and senior Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin is poised to join the Telangana Cabinet on Friday, marking his formal entry into the state government.

A senior minister confirmed to NDTV that the move, long under consideration, is aimed at addressing the Congress's lack of Muslim representation in the cabinet - though it also comes at a politically strategic moment, with the party looking to consolidate minority support ahead of the crucial Jubilee Hills by-election on November 11.

​Azharuddin, 62, who previously served as a Member of Parliament and is currently a Working President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), was recently nominated to the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor's quota, paving the way for his ministerial appointment. 

​Since assuming power in December 2023, the Congress government, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, has faced increasing scrutiny and pressure from minority communities and opposition parties over the absence of a Muslim minister in the cabinet. 

All key Muslim candidates from the Congress lost in the 2023 Assembly elections, leaving the community without direct representation at the state's highest executive level. 

Azharuddin's elevation is thus seen as a fulfilment of a promise and a critical step toward pacifying and engaging the minority electorate, particularly in Hyderabad, where the party would hope to capitalise on his local roots and public profile. His induction will raise the strength of the Revanth Reddy cabinet to 16, moving closer to the maximum permissible strength of 18 ministers.

​The timing of the announcement, just days before the Jubilee Hills by-election campaign intensifies, is an indication of the constituency's political importance. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath.

​Jubilee Hills is an urban, socially diverse, and high-profile seat with a significant concentration of Muslim voters, estimated at around 30% of the total electorate. This bloc is crucial in determining the outcome of the November 11 contest, which has become a matter of prestige for the ruling Congress against the opposition BRS and BJP.

​Azharuddin himself had contested and lost the Jubilee Hills seat in the 2023 Telangana election. While he was initially seen as a contender for the bypoll, the party ultimately chose Backward Class (BC) leader Vallala Naveen Yadav as its candidate. 

​The Congress, which is already campaigning aggressively in the constituency, is betting that the move will neutralise the opposition's narrative about the party "deceiving" or "betraying" the Muslim community and will instead help consolidate a favourable vote swing in the upcoming poll.

Meanwhile, the BJP in Telangana has strongly criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the ruling Congress over reports that Mohammad Azharuddin being offered a ministerial post. Calling the move a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct, the BJP alleged that the Congress was attempting to influence voters through "unethical and manipulative tactics" and said it had lodged an official complaint with the Election Commission.

The BJP Telangana in a post on X wrote, “In the backdrop of the Jubilee Hills by-election, the BJP has strongly condemned the reports in the media that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy offered a ministerial position to former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin to attract a section of voters."

జూబ్లీహిల్స్ ఉపఎన్నిక నేపథ్యంలో ఒక వర్గం ఓటర్లను ఆకర్షించేందుకు రాష్ట్ర ముఖ్యమంత్రి రేవంత్ రెడ్డి మాజీ క్రికెటర్ మహమ్మద్ అజరుద్దీన్ కి మంత్రి పదవి ఆఫర్ చేసినట్లు మీడియాలో వచ్చిన వార్తలపై బిజెపి తీవ్ర ఆక్షేపణ వ్యక్తం చేసింది.

ఇలాంటి ప్రకటనలు ఎన్నికల ప్రవర్తనా నియమావళికి… pic.twitter.com/X5m3pANdjX

— BJP Telangana (@BJP4Telangana) October 30, 2025

"Stating that such announcements are against the election conduct rules and an attempt to influence voters, the BJP has submitted an official complaint to the Election Commission. The BJP has demanded that the Congress government immediately stop these unethical actions being carried out during the election period,” it added.