Former Indian cricket captain and Telangana minorities welfare minister Mohd Azharuddin was sworn in as a member of the legislative council (MLC) on Monday. The oath came a day after Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla approved his nomination. M Kodandaram was also sworn in as an MLC under the governor's quota.
The oath of office and secrecy was administered to Azharuddin and Kodandaram by council chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy at his chambers. The ceremony was attended by council deputy chairman Banda Prakash, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, legislative affairs minister D Sridhar Babu, and other senior Congress leaders.
Azharuddin was inducted as a minister in the Revanth Reddy cabinet on October 31, 2025, and was constitutionally required to become either an MLA or MLC before April 30. The state cabinet had recommended the names of Azharuddin and Kodandaram in August last year, but approval was pending due to court litigation by the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Following recent Supreme Court clearance, the chief minister met the governor on April 19 and requested approval for the pending nominations. Speaking to reporters after the oath, Azharuddin expressed confidence in Revanth Reddy's leadership. He thanked AICC leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and the governor for the opportunity.
Azharuddin noted that the chief minister has been taking measures for minorities' welfare and said he would work for them and other sections of society as a minister.
