Cricketer-turned-politician Mohammad Azharuddin is keen to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from his home state Telangana’s Secunderabad constituency. He had earlier contested the last two Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Congress ticket. While he won from Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) in 2009, the former Indian captain lost in 2014 from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan).
In an interview to PTI, Azhar said the final decision from where he would contest would be taken by the Congress high command, but he has conveyed his desire to fight from Secunderabad to the party.
“I have visited so many places and villages in the constituency and spoken with farmers and other people, they all welcomed me to contest from there,” he said.
“I have conveyed my feelings (to the party and the leaders in-charge of the state). At the end of the day, the party is the supreme power. I am not the captain (here), if I were the captain, I would have chosen the constituency right away,” the 55-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said.
“I want to work for the people there (Secunderabad). I have worked very hard in the constituency, but I don’t believe in publicity,” said Azhar, who hails from Hyderabad, whose twin city is Secunderabad.
“What I gathered from my party is that, they are also keen that I go there (Secunderabad),” he said. The Congress’ Telangana unit last year had urged Azhar to contest either the state assembly polls or the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, from the state.
Asked what made him choose Congress when he took the plunge into politics, Azhar said, “I wanted to join the Congress as it is a secular party. Also, I had great respect for Mr Rajiv Gandhi.”
