Azharuddin vs Owaisi? Congress invites former cricketer to contest from Hyderabad

"If we work together again, our Congress government will come in Telangana," Azhar said.
Azharuddin vs Owaisi? Congress invites former cricketer to contest from Hyderabad
Azharuddin vs Owaisi? Congress invites former cricketer to contest from Hyderabad
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The Telangana unit of the Congress invited former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin to contest the next Assembly election in the state, which is due in 2019.

"We are inviting him (Azharuddin)," state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said at a public event, adding that the former Indian captain had expressed his willingness to participate and play an active role in Telangana. 

Reddy was speaking at the 'Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra', an annual event organised at Charminar, by senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao, on Thursday.

"If we work together again, our Congress government will come in Telangana," PTI quoted Azharuddin saying at the event, to which Reddy responded, "I am inviting you, in Telangana, whichever MP or MLA...you want to contest. We will call you to contest."

Shabbir Ali, Leader of the Opposition in the Council said that Azharuddin should contest for the Lok Sabha seat from Hyderabad opposite AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi, as he was a local, and knew of the issues. 

Azharuddin served as a Congress MP earlier, after he contested and won from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh in 2009, before unsuccessfully contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Rajasthan.

Earlier this year, Mohammad Azharuddin fought a bitter political battle, after he was not allowed to contest for the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). 

The returning officer, while rejecting the nomination papers of Azharuddin in January, said he was ineligible to contest as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had not lifted a ban imposed on him, for his alleged involvement in match-fixing.

In August, Azhar hit out against the HCA, alleging that it was not implementing reforms suggested by the Lodha Committee.

Speaking to media persons, Azhar said, "The present body is misleading everybody. They have announced that they have implemented the Lodha Committee reforms in toto but have not made any effort to implement many of the points. They should resign and fresh elections should be conducted.”

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