Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 31 (ANI): Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday took a swipe at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, questioning the Congress government's decision to make Mohammad Azharuddin a minister ahead of the Jubilee Hills by-election.

Speaking to ANI in Hyderabad, Kishan Reddy said, 'A man who lost the Jubilee Hills Assembly elections, who was not given a ticket in the current election--I would like to ask Revanth Reddy, why was he sidelined after losing the election and why is he being made an MLC and Minister now?'

Alleging that the move was politically motivated, the Union Minister said the Congress government's decision was aimed at gaining votes in the upcoming bypoll. 'There has been no minority minister for the past two years. He is being made a minister just to win Jubilee Hills by-elections,' Kishan Reddy remarked.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders claimed that the decision was politically motivated and intended to influence voters in Jubilee Hills, where Azharuddin had previously contested as a Congress candidate.

BJP leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy said the move 'creates an uneven playing field for political parties' and accused the ruling Congress of engaging in appeasement politics

'We have given a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer pointing out the announcement of the CM to induct Mohammad Azharuddin as a member of the state cabinet. Though there is no bar on expanding the ministry, the timing shows it is meant to influence the community he belongs to,' Marri Shashidhar Reddy said.

Echoing similar concerns, BJP MLA Payal Shankar said, 'The Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, announced the induction of Mohammad Azharuddin into the state cabinet, which violates the Model Code of Conduct rules. BJP has therefore filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, as the announcement was made to influence voters from Azharuddin's community in Jubilee Hills.'

Responding to the BJP's complaint, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the opposition was 'attempting to block Azharuddin's oath-taking ceremony' and accused the BJP and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of conspiring to influence Muslim votes.

BJP spokesperson NV Subhash alleged that the Congress was resorting to 'appeasement tactics' ahead of the elections.

'On the eve of elections, why this desperate situation for CM Revanth Reddy? Because the BJP has an edge. He is doing such gimmicks,' Subhash said, claiming that Azharuddin 'lost credibility' and faced cases from the CBI and ED.

The BJP said it has submitted a memorandum to both the Election Commission and the Governor seeking action against what it termed as a breach of the Model Code of Conduct.

Meanwhile, the Telangana BJP has lodged a complaint with the State Chief Electoral Officer, alleging that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's reported proposal to induct former Indian cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin into the cabinet amounts to a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct and is aimed at influencing voters in the Jubilee Hills bye-election.

In a letter, BJP MLA Payal Shanker stated that the proposal is intended to woo voters and urged the CEO to take immediate action to withdraw the announcement. Azharuddin had contested from Jubilee Hills constituency in the 2023 Assembly elections.

The BJP said that the move, if confirmed, would adversely affect the bye-election and requested the CEO to take cognisance of the alleged violation.

On Thursday, Telangana BJP President Ramchander Rao called the decision an act of 'appeasement'.

'While the Jubilee Hills by-election campaigns are going on, the Congress government in Telangana wants to make Mohammad Azharuddin a Minister in the state Cabinet. This is nothing but an act of appeasement and also a violation of the model code of conduct... BJP opposes this move,' Rao told ANI.

Voting for the Jubilee Hills by-election is scheduled to take place on November 11, with the counting of votes to follow on November 14. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of the sitting MLA and BRS leader Maganti Gopinath. (ANI)