Indian media reports that the Congress party is considering nominating famous tennis player Sania Mirza to contest against All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi from Hyderabad in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, in a surprising move.
Former Indian cricket captain and Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin has proposed Mirza's name for candidacy, as per the report. The Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) discussed candidates for several states, including Telangana, where Mirza's candidacy may have been discussed.
Political analysts speculate that Congress aims to leverage Sania Mirza's popularity and celebrity status to regain ground in Hyderabad's electoral landscape.
The report notes that the Congress party last won in Hyderabad in 1980, with K S Narayan as the MP.
Mohammed Azharuddin, the former cricket captain and Congress leader, proposed Mirza's candidacy. The two have close family ties, as Mohammed Asaddudin, the cricketer's son, married Sania Mirza's sister, Anam Mirza, in 2019.
