New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Mohammed Azharuddin is livid over speculation that he was being made a "sacrificial goat" in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency in Rajasthan after the former Indian cricket captain didn't want to return to Moradabad from where he had entered the Lok Sabha five years ago.
Azhar looked visibly unhappy when asked why he has been shifted from Moradabad, in Uttar Pradesh, to the twin towns of Tonk-Sawai Madhopur and said it was not that he wanted the shift, it was the party's decision.
"I am no sacrificial goat, I have no reason to leave Moradabad. I have done good work there, created infrastructure worth crores of rupees in the last five years. I have helped a lot of people get jobs and treated of serious ailments," Azhar told IANS in a chat.
"I was happy serving the Moradabad constituency and now the party wants me to shift to Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, I have accepted the offer," said Azhar.
"As a cricketer I should be prepared to bat on any type of pitch, I can't be asking for a flat batsman-friendly wicket all the time," he said.
A large number of visitors from the twin towns visited Azhar at his New Delhi residence Wednesday to express their support. Congratulating Azhar, some of them said they were happy their town had overnight become an important destination for the international media thanks to the former captain who will try to retain the seat Namo Narain Meena won for the Congress in 2009.
Meena, minister of state for finance in the Manmohan Singh government, has shifted to neighbouring Dausa, facilitating Azhar's move to a constituency where Muslims form a sizable number of voters.
"I will try my best to win the seat for my party. I am sure the party leadership must have picked me to serve the constituency and my job is to win it for the Congress," said Azhar even as he kept thanking enthusiastic party supporters from the two towns and talked to a large number of television channels.
Among those who visited Azhar were local Congress leaders, social wokers and well-known citizens. "I will assure you that I will try and get industrial houses to set up their units in the two towns so that the youth there do not have to go out in search of livelihood," Azhar told them.
Sawai Madhopur has traditionally been a Congress seat, the party winning it seven times. The Bharatiya Janata Party won it thrice and the Swatantra Party won it twice in the 1960s.
"I know it's a backward constituency and, if elected, I will strive to work for its development, particularly in the fields of educations and sports by creating opportunities for youngsters."
Asked about speculation that he was seriously looking for a safe seat in West Bengal and had even sought the Trinamool's help, Azhar denied this, saying most of these reports were "highly speculative without any basis. I can tell you no seat is safe for any party".
"I just want to clear the ongoing rumours about me joining other parties. To clarify, It's always been Congress and it will always be," he tweeted.
Karnataka government angry with Kamal Haasan's statement, actor's films may be banned.
Kamal Haasan's controversial statement on Kannada language has created a storm in Karnataka. Karnataka's Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadgi has threatened to ban Kamal Haasan's films as he
'Don't make Bengal another North Korea', Kangana Ranaut comes out in support of Sharmistha Panoli; BJP attacks TMC.
BJP has supported the influencer and student Sharmistha Panauli, who was arrested by Kolkata Police for posting an objectionable video on Prophet Muhammad. MLA and Leader of Opposition in Bengal
Within 24 hours, more than 2.33 lakh patients were found, 1.22 lakh people were cured and 1338 died.
Things have worsened in the country. Coronavirus has engulfed the entire country. In every state, every city, more people are suffering from infection than before. For the first time on Friday, a
Love Jihad: Hindu girl was being secretly administered to a Muslim youth, Nikah, two including Maulvi were arrested
Two people, including a cleric, were taken into custody by police after raiding a nikah being conducted in Gurumiya village of Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday night. Police suspect of love
Operation Sindoor: PM Modi's visit to Norway, Croatia, and the Netherlands postponed; Decision was taken amid tension with Pakistan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Norway, Croatia, and the Netherlands has been postponed. This decision was taken after India's strike on nine terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied
Army Chief said: Only trailer of war on Sino-Pak border, the battlefield will have to be prepared for future
Army Chief General MM Naravane said on Thursday that right now we are only watching the trailer of the war on the Sino-Pak border. In the time of information systems, this war is being fought through
Maheswari, 85-Year-old Elephant, Dies in Zoo
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 9 (IANS) Maheswari, an 85-year-old elephant who was brought from the wild in 1946, Monday died in the zoo here, barely two days after she fell ill.Jacob Alexander, the vet
Goa breaks election records thanks to silent voters
Panaji, April 13 (IANS) Goa's record voting percentage Saturday has not only surprised politicians in Goa, but also sent pre-poll calculations haywire.The 76.82 percent vote, a record for Goa as far
MP Political Crisis LIVE Updates: Assembly speaker asks SC for 2 weeks time, Shivraj raises questions
New Delhi, Agencies. There is no conclusion of the political crisis in Madhya Pradesh yet. The petition in the Supreme Court for the floor test in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly is going to be heard
Decades of mistrust between Indo-Pak cannot change overnight: General Naravane
There has been an atmosphere of mistrust between Pakistan and India for decades. This situation cannot change overnight. If they continue to observe the ceasefire, prevent terrorists from being pushed
