Former cricketer Azharuddin to be inducted into Telangana Cabinet on October 31

In a surprise development, former Indian Cricketer and Congress leader Md. Azharuddin will be inducted into to the Telangana Cabinet as a Minister on Friday (October 31, 2025).

Curiously enough, the decision comes in the midst of hectic campaign for the byelections to Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency on November 11, where there is huge concentration of Muslim minorities votes.

Nominated as MLC

In August this year, Mr. Azharuddin was nominated to the Legislative Council as a member under the Governor’s quota in the aftermath of Supreme Court striking down earlier nominations of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan. The Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in the revised list nominated Mr. Kodandaram and Mr. Azharuddin.

To boost prospects in Jubilee Hills byelection

The Jubilee Hills byelection has turned out to be a prestigious issue for the ruling Congress as it is going all out to win the election. With huge concentration of Muslim minorities votes, which can make or mar the prospects of any party, the Congress has consciously decided to induct Mr. Azharuddin as a Minister to boost its prospects among the minorities.

Lack of Muslim representation in current Cabinet

The attempt is also seen as a bid to pacify the minorities communities, which has been disappointed at failing to get a cabinet berth. There are no Muslim MLAs from the Congress party and in the Cabinet.

With his induction, the number of Ministers in the Revanth Reddy cabinet will go up to 16. The total strength of the Council of Ministers in Telangana is 18 including the Chief Minister. Mr. Reddy took oath as the Chief Minister on December 7, 2023 after Assembly elections trouncing the Bharat Rashtra Samiti, and the first Cabinet was announced on the same day.

The first expansion took place in June this year with the induction of three Ministers – G. Vivek Venkatswamy, Adluri Laxman Kumar and Vakati Sridhar, the first two being Scheduled Caste legislators and the last one being a Backward Caste MLA.

Mr. Azharuddin, a former Lok Sabha member from Moradabad had contested as the Congress candidate from the Jubilee Hills in 2023 and lost to the BRS candidate Maganti Gopinath. The BRS MLA passed in June this year necessitating the bypoll.

The former India Captain made his political debut joining the Congress party and contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Moradabad in 2009 but had to shift to Tonk Sawai Madhopur parliamentary constituency in Rajasthan where he lost to BJP nominee in 2014 elections. In 2018, he was made the working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress committee and then went on to try his luck from Jubilee Hills constituency in 2023.