Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Nov 4: Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin has been assigned the Minorities Welfare and Public Enterprises portfolios in the Telangana Cabinet, four days after being inducted as a minister.

Governor Jishnu Dev Varma officially allocated the portfolios to Azharuddin, who took the oath of office and secrecy on October 31 at Raj Bhavan. The Minorities Welfare department was previously under Adluri Laxman Kumar, while the Public Enterprises portfolio was handled by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

At 62 years old, Azharuddin is the first Muslim face in the Revanth Reddy-led Cabinet. His induction comes ahead of the November 11 by-election for the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency. Azharuddin had unsuccessfully contested his home constituency in 2023, and while the Congress leadership chose Naveen Yadav for the upcoming by-election, they secured a Cabinet berth for Azharuddin.

The move is seen as part of the Congress party’s outreach to Muslims, who make up around 30% of the Jubilee Hills electorate. Azharuddin currently serves as the working president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) and is a member of its Political Affairs Committee.

With his swearing-in, the Telangana Cabinet’s strength rises to 16 ministers. The Cabinet, originally sworn in on December 7, 2023, with 11 ministers, was expanded on June 8 with the induction of three more ministers. The state allows a maximum of 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister.