Objecting to the induction of former Indian Cricketer and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin as a Minister in the Telangana cabinet, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Congress party of violating the poll code.
Azharuddin is set to be sworn-in as a Minister on October 31. The move is widely perceived as the Congress’s attempt to garner support from the Muslim community ahead of the crucial Jubilee Hills bypoll. The party has faced criticism for the lack of Muslim representation in the Telangana cabinet.
“After losing the previous election as a Congress candidate, Azharuddin is now being hastily appointed as a Minister. For the past 22 months, there hasn't been even one minority representative in the cabinet.”
“If Congress truly cared about minority welfare, it would have given representation earlier. Doing this just before the elections clearly shows their intent. Appointing someone as a minister while the election code of conduct is in force is illegal. To appease minority voters, the Congress is blatantly violating the code and using ministerial posts as political incentives," said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, according to Deccan Herald.
A former Lok Sabha MP from Moradabad, Azharuddin had contested the 2023 Assembly elections from Jubilee Hills but lost to BRS candidate Maganti Gopinath, whose demise in June led to the upcoming byepoll.
Chairman of BJP’s state election affairs committee Marri Shashidhar Reddy and BJP MLA Payal Shanker also wrote a letter to the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer stating that the decision to induct Azharuddin into the cabinet is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). “We have just noticed through TV and newspapers that there is a proposal to offer ministry to Mr Mohamed Azharuddin,” said their complaint.
They said that the decision was taken to woo a “section of voters” – without naming Muslims. Reports suggest that the Jubilee Hills constituency has a 22% Muslim population.
The former India cricket captain, who joined the Congress in 2009, began his political career by winning the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat, but lost from Tonk–Sawai Madhopur in 2014. In 2018, he was appointed Working President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) before contesting the 2023 Assembly election.