<p>Hyderabad: Mohammad Azharuddin, who was included in the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/telangana">Telangana</a> cabinet on Friday, became the second former top cricketer to be made minister in a <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/congress">Congress</a> government, the first being Navjot Singh Sidhu. Congress is not the only party where cricketers flourished in politics. Parties like <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bjp">BJP</a> and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/tmc">Trinamool Congress</a> made cricketers MPs and even ministers.</p><p>Congress leader and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister in CM A Revanth Reddy’s cabinet.</p><p>Azharuddin began his political journey with Congress and became Lok Sabha member from Moradabad , Uttar Pradesh in 2009. However, he lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election in the Tonk–Sawai Madhopur constituency in Rajasthan.</p><p>Azharuddin was, in November 2023, appointed working president of the party in Telangana days ahead of assembly elections in the southern state.</p>.Former cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin sworn in as minister in Telangana.<p>The former cricketer unsuccessfully contested Jubilee Hills Assembly polls in November 2023.</p><p>He was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota by the Telangana government in August last week. However, the Governor Jishnu Dev Varma is yet to clear the appointment.</p><p>Former Indian opener Sidhu, who opened his political innings with the BJP, later switched loyalties to the Congress and became a minister in the cabinet headed by former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in 2017. The former Punjab Congress chief, however, has not been actively participating in the party’s events and activities for the past several months. He was defeated in 2022 Punjab Assembly polls.</p><p>Sidhu was also elected to Lok Sabha in 2004 and served as Rajya Sabha member in 2016 from BJP.</p><p>Besides other popular cricketers Kirti Azad, Chetan Chauhan and Gautam Gambhir, among others, chose a different political platform.</p><p>Azad, who was elected to Lok Sabha multiple times started his career with BJP and is currently representing Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat for Trinamool Congress.</p><p>Gambhir joined the BJP and was elected to Lok Sabha 2019 parliament elections. He did not contest 2024 polls. He is currently Indian men's cricket team head coach.</p><p>Another Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary who joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) is currently Minister of state for Youth Services and Sports in CM Mamata Banerjee's cabinet.</p><p>Chetan Chauhan was also a two-time BJP MP and served as a minister in the UP cabinet. He died during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>Hyderabad: Mohammad Azharuddin, who was included in the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/telangana">Telangana</a> cabinet on Friday, became the second former top cricketer to be made minister in a <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/congress">Congress</a> government, the first being Navjot Singh Sidhu. Congress is not the only party where cricketers flourished in politics. Parties like <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/bjp">BJP</a> and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/tmc">Trinamool Congress</a> made cricketers MPs and even ministers.</p><p>Congress leader and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin was sworn in as a minister in CM A Revanth Reddy’s cabinet.</p><p>Azharuddin began his political journey with Congress and became Lok Sabha member from Moradabad , Uttar Pradesh in 2009. However, he lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election in the Tonk–Sawai Madhopur constituency in Rajasthan.</p><p>Azharuddin was, in November 2023, appointed working president of the party in Telangana days ahead of assembly elections in the southern state.</p>.Former cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin sworn in as minister in Telangana.<p>The former cricketer unsuccessfully contested Jubilee Hills Assembly polls in November 2023.</p><p>He was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota by the Telangana government in August last week. However, the Governor Jishnu Dev Varma is yet to clear the appointment.</p><p>Former Indian opener Sidhu, who opened his political innings with the BJP, later switched loyalties to the Congress and became a minister in the cabinet headed by former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in 2017. The former Punjab Congress chief, however, has not been actively participating in the party’s events and activities for the past several months. He was defeated in 2022 Punjab Assembly polls.</p><p>Sidhu was also elected to Lok Sabha in 2004 and served as Rajya Sabha member in 2016 from BJP.</p><p>Besides other popular cricketers Kirti Azad, Chetan Chauhan and Gautam Gambhir, among others, chose a different political platform.</p><p>Azad, who was elected to Lok Sabha multiple times started his career with BJP and is currently representing Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat for Trinamool Congress.</p><p>Gambhir joined the BJP and was elected to Lok Sabha 2019 parliament elections. He did not contest 2024 polls. He is currently Indian men's cricket team head coach.</p><p>Another Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary who joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) is currently Minister of state for Youth Services and Sports in CM Mamata Banerjee's cabinet.</p><p>Chetan Chauhan was also a two-time BJP MP and served as a minister in the UP cabinet. He died during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>