Telangana Governor clears names of Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs under Governor’s quota

Telangana Governor clears Prof. M. Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan as MLCs under Governor’s quota

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has cleared the names of Prof. M. Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan, Joint Editor of Siasat Urdu newspaper, as Members of Legislative Council (MLC) under the Governor’s quota.

The names were sent by the Congress government last month, and after considering their background and also taking legal opinion into account, the Governor cleared their names. The Governor had earlier rejected the names suggested by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government – Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana citing their political affiliations.

In this background, there were doubts over clearing the name of Prof. Kodandaram as he heads a political party. However, legal experts suggested to the Governor that Prof. Kodandaram was a social activist and human rights activist much before he came into politics. Moreover, he shot to fame during the Telangana agitation after all the political parties agreed to make him the Chairman of the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC).

Prof. Kodandaram, president of the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) was the TJAC chairman during the Telangana agitation coordinating with all the political parties that were not willing to work under one single political party for the separate state agitation.

Prof. Kodandaram’s party did not contest the State Assembly elections-2023 and instead supported the Congress party stating that it cannot allow the comeback of BRS in the interests of the State.

Mr. Amer Ali Khan, is the Joint Editor of the popular Urdu daily Siasat published from Hyderabad. During the recent Assembly elections, the Khan family stood behind the Congress party . Moreover, Siasat is known to be ideologically against the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majils-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (AIMIM).

There are strong rumours within the Congress that Mr. Khan may be inducted into the Cabinet of Mr. Revanth Reddy as it lacks a Muslim face. All senior Congress leaders belonging to the Muslim community lost in the recent Assembly elections and the party had to find a Muslim face. Sources said that he may be inducted before the Parliament elections to appeal to the Muslim voters.