Govt hopeful of Guv’s thumbs-up to Azhar’s MLC nomination file

Hyderabad: The Congress government in Telangana is optimistic that Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla will soon approve the nomination of Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota, along with the candidature of M Kodandaram.

According to sources, the state government is confident that the Governor will clear the file forwarded by the Telangana Cabinet recommending both names (Azharuddin and Kodandaram).

It is learnt that efforts have been stepped up in recent weeks to ensure timely approval, though the leadership appears unconcerned about the looming deadline. Azharuddin, who was inducted into the Cabinet in late October 2025, is constitutionally required to become either a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) or an MLC by April 30, 2026. Failure to do so would automatically result in the loss of his ministerial position.

The Cabinet had recommended the nominations in August 2025 after the Supreme Court set aside the election of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs. Despite this, the proposal was not approved by the then Governor Jishnu Dev Varma. The delay persisted even after the Supreme Court clarified that its ongoing review of the matter did not prevent the Governor from exercising constitutional powers to approve fresh nominations, subject to the final outcome of pending petitions.

Following Jishnu Dev Varma’s transfer to Maharashtra, Shiv Pratap Shukla assumed office as the new Governor of Telangana. Initial concerns about possible friction between Lok Bhavan and the state government have not happened, with both sides maintaining smooth working relations. This development has raised expectations within the Congress that the pending file will be cleared soon, possibly by mid-April.

Meanwhile, the government is understood to have a contingency plan in place. In the event of further delays or an adverse court ruling, Azharuddin may be asked to resign and later be re-inducted into the Cabinet.

However, sources maintain that the government remains confident of securing the Governor’s approval, rendering such measures unnecessary.