Former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, who was recently inducted into the Telangana Council of Ministers, was on Tuesday allocated Minorities Welfare and Public Enterprises portfolios.
Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao issued an order to this effect.
While Public Enterprises was held by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, minister Adluri Laxman Kumar handled Minorities Welfare portfolio.
Azharuddin, a former Indian cricket captain, was sworn in as a minister in Revanth Reddy’s cabinet on October 31.
With the induction of Azharuddin, the total strength of the cabinet rose to 16, with room for two more. As per the Assembly strength, Telangana can have 18 ministers.
The former cricketer’s appointment to the ministry is seen as a crucial step as the Congress party has been fighting hard to win the November 11 Jubilee Hills bypoll, where over a lakh Muslim voters could play a decisive role.
The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath in June this year.
Azharuddin was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota by the Telangana government in August last week. However, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma is yet to clear the appointment.
Azharuddin unsuccessfully contested from the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency in the 2023 polls.
