Telangana Guv Approves Nomination Of Azharuddin, Kodandaram As MLCs
Azharuddin was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor's quota by the Telangana government in August last year
Hyderabad: Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has approved the long-pending MLC nominations of minority welfare minister Mohd Azharuddin and Prof M. Kodandaram to the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota, ending uncertainty over Azharuddin’s ministerial future, official sources said on Saturday. An official announcement in this regard is awaited.
The Governor’s approval has cleared the way for Azharuddin’s continuation in the Cabinet, just five days before the April 30 deadline for him to secure membership in either House of the legislature.
Azharuddin was sworn in as minister on October 31, 2025, shortly before the Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll held on November 11, and was not a member of either the Assembly or the Council at that time. As per constitutional provisions, he was required to get elected to either House within six months, with the deadline set to expire on April 30.
With no word from Lok Bhavan till Friday, there was speculation that Azharuddin might be asked to resign and be reinducted into the Cabinet after a brief gap if he failed to secure the MLC nomination in time.
As the deadline approached, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy intensified efforts to obtain the Governor’s approval. Acting on his instructions, Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and Advocate-General A. Sudarshan Reddy called on the Governor at Lok Bhavan last Saturday to seek clearance for Azharuddin’s nomination. The following day, the Chief Minister himself, accompanied by legislative affairs minister D. Sridhar Babu, visited Lok Bhavan and made a formal request to Governor Shukla.
The Chief Minister’s efforts appear to have paid off, with the Governor granting approval on Saturday for the nominations of both Azharuddin and Prof. Kodandaram. The Cabinet, chaired by Revanth Reddy, had recommended their names for MLC seats under the Governor’s quota on August 30, 2025, following the Supreme Court’s decision striking down the previous appointments of Prof. Kodandaram and journalists Amer Ali Khan.
With the Governor’s approval now in place, Azharuddin has met the constitutional requirement to secure legislative membership within six months, averting the risk of having to step down from his ministerial post.
