CM Revanth Reddy unveils book on Mohammed Ali Shabbir’s 45-year Congress journey
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy unveiled “Loyalty & Legacy: 45 Years with Congress Party” at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday night. The release came after the TPCC Political Affairs Committee meeting. The book records the political life of Mohammed Ali Shabbir, a senior Congress leader and Advisor to the Telangana Government.
Top Congress leaders joined the event. Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC incharge Meenakshi Natarajan, and TPCC President B. Mahesh Kumar Goud attended. Ministers and veterans present included Uttam Kumar Reddy, Damodar Raja Narsimha, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Jupally Krishna Rao, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Adluri Lakshman Kumar, Konda Surekha, D. Seethakka, G. Vivek, Vakiti Srihari, V. Hanumantha Rao, K. Jana Reddy, Dr. J. Geetha Reddy, Dr. K. Keshav Rao, Balram Naik, and Anjan Kumar Yadav.
The book outlines Mohammed Ali Shabbir’s start as a Youth Congress and NSUI activist inspired by Indira Gandhi. His first major campaign was in 1980 at Kamareddy, then part of Medak Lok Sabha seat, for Indira Gandhi. He stayed with the Congress through alternating cycles of power and opposition. The editors present this continuity as a throughline.
Mohammed Ali Shabbir’s Policy Map And Party Role
In his 1989–94 ministerial stint, Mohammed Ali Shabbir established India’s first Minority Welfare Department in 1993. He placed the Waqf Board, Urdu Academy, Haj Committee, and Minorities Finance Corporation under one department. For FY 1993–94, the government allocated Rs. 2 crore to minority welfare. On August 25, 1994, GO MS No. 30 proposed reservations for 14 backward castes, including Muslims, Kapus, Telagas, and Balijas. The order did not get implemented because Congress lost power and the Puttuswamy Commission did not submit a report despite extensions. The book treats the GO as the beginning of a policy track.
From 2004 to 2009, under Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, he worked on delivery. The government initially granted 5% reservation for Muslims. After court review, it became 4%. The measure, the book says, expanded access to education and public employment for backward sections of the Muslim community. Editors estimate that over 20 lakh students and job aspirants benefited across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The period also saw English medium residential schools and junior colleges for minorities, strengthened scholarships and hostels, and the launch of mass marriages for poor Muslim girls, now known as Shaadi Mubarak. As NRI Affairs Minister, he enabled repatriation for stranded Gulf workers and opened an attestation centre in the Secretariat.
His opposition role in the Telangana Legislative Council receives space. He challenged the BRS government led by K. Chandrashekhar Rao and flagged gaps around minority welfare, farm distress, and governance. The book frames these interventions as a means to keep the Congress voice active in the Upper House when numbers were limited.
Rival parties, including the TDP and later the BRS, tried to bring him across with offers, reportedly including cabinet positions. He stayed with Congress. The text notes that he spent 28 of his 45 political years in opposition and 17 in power. Editors present these proportions as evidence of consistency rather than convenience.
K. Jana Reddy’s preface recalls parallel roles as cabinet colleagues and later as Leaders of Opposition in the Assembly and Council. It argues that careers endure on character. At the release, CM Revanth Reddy called Mohammed Ali Shabbir a pillar for Congress in Telangana and pointed to the 4% reservation as a policy marker that continues to shape outcomes.
The book also documents risks and pressures. He went to jail after protests over remarks against Rajiv Gandhi by a TDP minister. He faced ED questioning in a matter concerning Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Most notably, he survived a Naxalite attack in 1997 at Machareddy while unveiling statues of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Five workers died. Editors include these episodes as context for political work under stress.
In summary, “Loyalty & Legacy: 45 Years with Congress Party” reads as a combined biography and policy ledger centred on Mohammed Ali Shabbir. The Gandhi Bhavan release on August 24 put those themes on record before the party’s top brass.
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