Hyderabad: AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is likely to induct a Muslim leader into his Cabinet. The move is aimed at sending a clear message to the minorities that the Telugu Desam, despite its tie-up with the BJP, is committed to their development.
As of now, there is no Muslim member in Mr Naidu’s council of 19 ministers. In fact, the TD does not have a single MLA from the Muslim community in the Assembly though there are four from the YSRC. The CM is likely to induct a Muslim leader and then will have him elected to the Legislative Council.
The opposition YSRC has repeatedly cornered the ruling TD in the Assembly over not having minority representation either in the Assembly or in the council of ministers. Sources close to Mr Naidu said that he is also under pressure from minority community leaders in the party to induct one in the ministry.
The CM realises how important it is to have a Muslim in the Cabinet so that the community vote bank does not remain permanently elusive. It may be recalled that the minorities had distanced themselves from the TD following the Gujarat riots. At a time when a section of them were coming back into the fold, the party’s tie-up with the BJP in the recent general elections saw them again distancing themselves from the party.
“Mr Naidu realises the importance of giving a berth in the Cabinet to a Muslim candidate. He ensured that even the Governor’s address had a specific mention that the TD government will take necessary steps to make minorities stakeholders in the state’s development process. In the Assembly, the CM said that the government was committed to the development of minorities and will take them along in building a new capital city and the state,” a senior TD leader said.
N. Md Farooq, who has served as minister, is seen as a frontrunner. Others in the fray include Md Shareef, a senior TD worker from Narsapur in West Godavari district and Mr Ziauddin, a former MLA from Guntur.
