Hyderabad: Former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin is expected to contest from Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, a strong turf of AIMIM party. Congress party is actively considering Azharuddin’s candidature for fielding him from Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency. Whether the former Indian cricket skipper, also known for his outstanding ground fielding, can catch Owaisi preventing him from fourth consecutive win, we have to wait and watch, observes a political analyst.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has reportedly discussed on fielding Azharuddin in Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency with party chief Rahul Gandhi. TPCC president Uttamkumar Reddy and RC Kuntia, Telangana state in-charge for Congress, have proposed Azharuddin’s name for Hyderabad constituency. TPCC has received over 37 applications for Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency.
The classy cricketer hails from Vittalwadi, Himayathnagar, and in last November 2018, expressed his desire to contest from Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. Just before Assembly elections held in December 2018, Azharuddin has been appointed as working president for the Telangana Congress party.
Party sources said that if Azharuddin doesn’t take up the task of contesting from Hyderabad, then he may be offered Zaheerabad constituency. Congress party is keen to check Owaisi, who has been continuously winning Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency since 2004.
The sitting MP AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi is member of 16th Lok Sabha representing Hyderabad Parliamentary constituency. It may be recalled that Asaduddin Owaisi’s father Salhahuddin Owaisi won five times as Hyderabad MP from 1980s. In the recent Assembly elections, AIMIM won six out of seven constituencies under Hyderabad LokSabha purview, and lost one Goshamahal seat to BJP as Raja Singh is the lone MLA for the saffron party in Telangana.
Azharuddin has never contested in Telangana and united AP as well. He won as MP from Moradabad, UP, in 2004 elections and lost in 2014 polls from Tonk-Sawai Madhapur, Rajasthan.
