The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Telangana has lodged a strong protest against the recent inclusion of former cricketer and MLC Mohd. Azharuddin into the State Cabinet. The party asserts that this appointment is a blatant breach of the election Model Code of Conduct, which is currently in force for the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election, slated for November 11.
During separate media briefings, senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Telangana party president N. Ramchander Rao, lambasted the ruling Congress. They contended that the Congress had resorted to desperate measures, inducting Mr. Azharuddin purely to curry favor with minority voters. “For the past 22 months, there hasn’t been a single minister from the minority community, and now, just before the elections, they suddenly remember them,” Mr. Reddy stated, highlighting what he deemed as opportunistic political maneuvering.
Mr. Reddy further escalated his accusations, claiming that both the Congress and BRS parties practice a brand of “fake secularism” and appeasement politics, serving as a protective shield for the Majlis party. He raised pointed questions about the Majlis party’s decision not to contest the by-election, implying that they had “rented out their candidate to the Congress” under undisclosed pressure or financial influence. Additionally, he alleged that Majlis leaders were actively intimidating political opponents and pressuring the government to file baseless cases.
Beyond the electoral controversy, Mr. Kishan Reddy also expressed dismay over the government’s failure to take decisive action against organized networks involved in the illegal slaughter and cross-border transport of cattle. He demanded stricter enforcement of existing laws and unwavering adherence to national guidelines for cattle protection.
In a formal move, BJP MLA Payal Shankar and former Minister Marri Shashidhar Reddy met with State Election Commissioner Sudardhan Reddy to present their official complaint regarding Mr. Azharuddin’s induction, reiterating their stance that it directly contravenes the model code of conduct.
Separately, Mr. Ramchander Rao accused the Congress government of intimidating private college managements. He alleged that directing the Vigilance Department to investigate supposed misuse of fee reimbursement funds was a deliberate tactic to further delay the payment of thousands of crores in pending arrears. He demanded the immediate release of ₹12,000 crore in outstanding dues and reaffirmed the BJP’s support for a statewide bandh called by private college managements to press their legitimate demands.