The Telangana Congress is under pressure to include a Muslim representative in the cabinet for the upcoming General elections. However, they are struggling to find a suitable candidate who is loyal and can secure the most votes. There are two vacant MLC positions that need to be filled through nomination, and there is intense lobbying within the party to secure these seats. Additionally, there are still portfolios within the Ministry that need to be assigned, including the Home Ministry and Minority Welfare, which should be represented by someone from the Minority community.
This issue needs to be addressed before the General elections as directed by the High Command. It was discussed during the latest PAC meeting on December 18, and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also briefed AICC secretary K C Venugopal on December 19. The names of party contestants from the recent Assembly polls, such as Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Mohammed Feroz Khan, and Mohammed Azharuddin, are being considered for the Minority face in the State cabinet.
Shabbir Ali, being the senior most and a former Minister, is a prominent name in the discussions. However, he faces opposition from leaders from Nalgonda and Khammam districts who are already in the cabinet and prefer Feroz Khan due to his Hyderabad local status and his strong stance against AIMIM. Zafar Javed, a senior vice president and educationist from Hyderabad, is also lobbying forcefully for a cabinet position.
If the Congress party fails to secure an alliance with AIMIM, they may field Feroz Khan as a candidate for the Hyderabad Parliamentary seat in the General Elections. Despite losing in the Assembly elections, Feroz Khan is credited for putting up a strong fight against AIMIM’s Majid Hussain in Nampally.
Some argue that candidates who have lost elections should not be considered, and they are pushing for other names like former Sangareddy MLA Jagga Reddy for the MLC post.
