Hyderabad: Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin said he is “deeply honoured and humbled” by the Telangana Cabinet’s decision to nominate him as Member of Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota.

Azharuddin thanked AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal, CM A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natrajan for their support, stating he remains committed to serving the state with “integrity and dedication.”

The Cabinet, chaired by CM Revanth Reddy, also decided to nominate Telangana Jana Samithi chief M. Kodandaram as MLC, replacing Amer Ali Khan whose earlier appointment was stayed by the Supreme Court.

Azharuddin’s nomination came as a surprise, as he was expected to contest the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election, following the death of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath.

The former MP from Moradabad (2009) has been serving as Working President of Telangana Congress since 2018