Telangana: Azharuddin gets Minorities Welfare, Public Enterprises portfolios

In a political development that blends symbolism with strategy, former Indian cricket captain and senior Congress leader Mohammad Azharuddin has been entrusted with the portfolios of Minorities Welfare and Public Enterprises in the Telangana Cabinet. The announcement came on Tuesday, 4 November, four days after Azharuddin took oath as minister, with governor Jishnu Dev Varma formally allocating the portfolios.

The Minorities Welfare portfolio was earlier held by Adluri Laxman Kumar, who also oversees Scheduled Caste and Tribal Welfare, while chief minister A. Revanth Reddy had been handling Public Enterprises. With this reshuffle, Azharuddin steps into a significant role — one that carries both administrative weight and political message.

Azharuddin, 62, became the first Muslim face in the Revanth Reddy-led Cabinet when he was sworn in at the Raj Bhavan on 31 October, marking a moment of renewed outreach by the Congress towards Telangana’s sizeable Muslim electorate. His induction also brings the strength of the Cabinet to 16 members, two short of the constitutional limit.

A seasoned politician and one of Indian cricket’s most elegant batsmen, Azharuddin’s political journey has seen both setbacks and second chances. Though he lost from his home constituency in the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress leadership, mindful of his influence and appeal, chose to nominate him to the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota earlier this year.

His elevation comes just ahead of the Jubilee Hills by-election on 11 November, a contest that holds both political and emotional significance for the Congress. The decision is widely seen as a calibrated move to reconnect with the Muslim community, which makes up nearly 30 per cent of the electorate in the upscale Hyderabad constituency.

Once known for his silken wrist work on the cricket field, Azharuddin now faces a different pitch — one defined by governance and representation. As he takes charge of the welfare of Telangana’s minorities and public enterprises, his new innings in politics promises both challenges and opportunities, set against the evolving landscape of Telangana’s coalition politics.

With IANS inputs