New Delhi: Amid speculation of Mohammed Azharuddin quitting the party, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday made former MP and cricketer the working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee.
In an official communication, the Congress announced that Gandhi approved the appointment of office-bearers of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and made Azharuddin the working president of the committee. Apart from him, there are 14 other members in the committee, including vice-presidents, general secretaries and secretaries.
There was a 'strong' buzz that the former skipper of Team India, who was elected from Moradabad constituency on Congress ticket in 2009, was considering quitting the Congress and joining the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which is led by K Chandrashekar Rao.
It's worth mentioning that senior Congress leader Abid Rasool Khan, who is known to be very close to Azharuddin, had recently switched his side and joined the TRS after being in the Congress for over 32 years. Following Khan's move, it was anticipated that Azharuddin may also join the TRS. According to party insiders, Azharuddin was not happy with the way he was being treated in the Congress.
According to sources, Azharuddin wanted to contest the December 7 Telangana assembly elections from Secunderabad—the Hyderabad's twin city and the place where he made his name and fame as a cricketer. His proposal was challenged by senior Congress leaders and during a meeting Greater Hyderabad City Congress president Anjan Kumar Yadav announced his own candidature from Secunderabad.
Other officer-bearers of Telangana Congress unit, whose names have been approved by the Congress chief, include BM Vinod Kumar and Jaffer Javed as vice-presidents.