KAMAREDDY : Though senior Congress leader Md Ali Shabbir lost the election to Assembly from Nizamabad Urban segments, he stands a better chance of finding a berth in A Revanth Reddy Cabinet than those who are elected from other segments in erstwhile Nizamabad district.
This is because there is no Muslim MLA from the Congress in the present Assembly. The other two Muslim candidates of Congress — Feroze Khan and Md Azharuddin — suffered defeats in Nampally and Jubilee Hills respectively.
As Shabber Ali is not only loyal to the party but also a strong supporter of Revanth Reddy, his prospects are brighter compared to the other two defeated Congress Muslim candidates.
If there is no minister from the Muslim community in the Cabinet, it would give a handle to the opposition to paint the Congress as anti-Muslim. In all likelihood, the AIMIM would target the Congress on this score. This apart, it would look as though the Congress has let down an important community that might turn against the grand old party.
Shabbir Ali has been in public life since his student days. He was elected from Kamareddy twice in the past. He was a member of Kotla Vijya Bhaskar Reddy Cabinet and also in the Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy Cabinet. He was a member of the legislative council. His defeat in Nizamabad Urban was his sixth in the Assembly elections. His home constituency is Kamareddy.
He moved to Nizamabad Urban in the just concluded election, leaving Kamareddy from where Revanth Reddy contested against former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, on the direction of the party high command. In a way, it was a sacrifice he had made for the party and Revanth Reddy.
Shabbir Ali has a good
rapport with other senior leaders of the Congress, particularly those belonging to his community. When Revanth Reddy left for Delhi on Tuesday night after he was declared the CLP leader Shabbir Ali and another leader from the district Sudarshan Reddy were with him.
One of the supporters of Shabbir Ali said since his leader had experience in governance as a minister, the party might take him into the Cabinet. He will then be taken into the Legislative Council.