Telangana results: Clamour grows for inducting Feroze Khan into cabinet to build minority base

Hyderabad: Congress senior vice president and chairman of Election Commission coordination Committee G Niranjan, has asked the party leadership to induct Feroz Khan into the state cabinet.

He said since no minority candidate has won, the party needs to build up the base.

Feroze Khan contested from the Nampally constituency on a Congress ticket for the fourth time. However, he lost to All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen Majeed Hussain with a margin of 2037 votes.

Majeed Hussain polled 62185 votes and Feroze Khan polled 60148 votes.

No minority leader

Apart from the seven members of the Legislative Assembly of AIMIM, no party has any Muslim representation. Inducting Feroze Khan into the cabinet is being seen as building a minority base in Telangana.

Shabbir Ali and Azharuddin lost

Shabbir Ali lost from Nizamuddin Urban and cricketer-turned-politician Azharuddin lost from Jubilee Hills. This loss is being seen as a dent to the Congress party.

Low rung leaders

There are leaders at the district president level and ground workers in the minority areas but they need a leader to guide them. “The chairman of the minority community resigned during the distribution of tickets and this created an impact in the organizational structure. There is a need to strengthen the minority department as it will play a major role in the Parliament elections of Telangana,” said a Congress leader