CM Revanth Reddy Releases Book On Mohammed Ali Shabbir’s 45-Year Journey In Congress

Hyderabad, August 24: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy released the book “Loyalty & Legacy: 45 Years with Congress Party”, marking a celebration of the enduring political journey of senior Congress leader and Telangana Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir.

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The release took place in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC Telangana Incharge Meenakshi Natarajan, TPCC President B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, ministers including 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 and veteran leaders including V. Hanumantha Rao, K. Jana Reddy, Dr. J. Geetha Reddy, Dr. K. Keshav Rao, Balram Naik, Anjan Kumar Yadav, and several others. The book was released after the meeting of the TPCC Political Affairs Committee, which was held at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday night.

The book is a detailed chronicle of Mohammed Ali Shabbir’s life in politics, spanning more than four decades in which he remained unwaveringly loyal to the Congress Party through its years of power and long stretches in opposition. It narrates how he began his journey as a Youth Congress and NSUI activist inspired by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. His first major political experience came in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections when he campaigned in Kamareddy, then part of Medak Lok Sabha seat, for Indira Gandhi, who went on to win with a thumping majority and later returned as Prime Minister. From that moment onwards, Shabbir Ali became a committed Congress worker, serving at various levels from municipal councillor to APCC vice-president and convener of the Political Affairs Committee, to minister, legislator, opposition leader, and finally Advisor to the Telangana Government.

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Shabbir Ali’s career has been closely linked with the leadership of the Gandhi family, beginning with Indira Gandhi, continuing through Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. He went to jail in protest against derogatory remarks made by a TDP minister against Rajiv Gandhi. He faced ED questioning in connection with a case involving Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He even survived an assassination attempt by Naxalites in 1997 while unveiling statues of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in Machareddy, an attack in which five Congress workers lost their lives. Each of these incidents, documented in the book, underlined his willingness to bear personal risk in defence of the Congress leadership and ideology.

In his long career, Shabbir Ali served as a minister twice, working under three Chief Ministers. His first term came between 1989 and 1994, when he was inducted into the Cabinets of Dr. Marri Chenna Reddy and later Dr. Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy. It was during this tenure that he made history by establishing the country’s first Minority Welfare Department in 1993, bringing institutions such as the Waqf Board, Urdu Academy, Haj Committee, and Minorities Finance Corporation under a single umbrella. For the first time in India’s history, a dedicated budget of Rs. 2 crore was allocated for minorities in 1993–94, setting a model later replicated in other states and eventually at the national level with the creation of the Ministry of Minority Affairs in 2006. Another landmark came on August 25, 1994, when the Congress government issued GO MS No. 30, proposing reservations for 14 backward castes, including Muslims, Kapus, Telagas, Balijas, etc.,Though the order was not implemented due to the Congress losing power later that year and the Puttuswamy Commission failing to submit a report despite multiple extensions, it marked the formal beginning of the Congress Party’s push for social justice in Andhra Pradesh.

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His second term as minister, from 2004 to 2009 under the leadership of Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, proved to be one of the most productive phases in minority welfare. Shabbir Ali was instrumental in the implementation of the historic 4% Muslim reservation, which has since transformed the lives of over 20 lakh students and job aspirants in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The book records how, in just 58 days after returning to power in 2004, the Congress government issued an order granting 5% reservation for Muslims, later readjusted to 4% after judicial scrutiny. This became a turning point in access to education and jobs for backward sections of the Muslim community. His tenure also saw the launch of English medium residential schools and junior colleges for minorities, expansion of scholarships and hostels, and the introduction of mass marriages for poor Muslim girls, a scheme which continues today as Shaadi Mubarak. As NRI affairs minister, he arranged for the repatriation of stranded Gulf workers and set up an attestation centre in the Secretariat to ease the difficulties faced by migrants.

The book also gives space to his years in opposition, when he served as Leader of Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council. At a time when the numbers were stacked against the Congress, Shabbir Ali took the fight directly to the BRS government led by K. Chandrashekhar Rao. He was one of the most vocal critics of what he called anti-people policies, regularly raising issues of minority welfare, farmers’ distress, and governance failures. His speeches and interventions ensured that the Congress voice remained alive in the Upper House.

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Throughout his career, Shabbir Ali was courted by rival parties. Both the TDP and later the BRS made lucrative offers, including cabinet berths, to lure him away from the Congress. But as the book highlights, he rejected every such opportunity and chose instead to remain with the Congress. Out of 45 years in politics, his party has been in power for only 17 years and in opposition for 28 years. Yet he never wavered, becoming an example of rare political consistency in a landscape often marked by defections and opportunism.

The book carries a preface by veteran leader K. Jana Reddy, who recalled that he and Shabbir Ali were not only cabinet colleagues in the past but also served simultaneously as Leaders of Opposition in the Assembly and the Council, keeping the Congress presence alive in both Houses. Jana Reddy praised Shabbir Ali’s career as proof that in politics, it is character that ultimately matters.

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Speaking at the release, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy lauded Shabbir Ali as a pillar of the Congress in Telangana and said his loyalty and service were exemplary. He recalled that Shabbir Ali’s role in shaping minority welfare policies, including the 4% Muslim quota, has left an indelible mark on Telangana’s political and social fabric. Other leaders present also hailed his contributions, describing the book as not only a record of one man’s journey but also a reflection of the Congress Party’s larger struggle for social justice.

The release of “Loyalty & Legacy: 45 Years with Congress Party” was more than the unveiling of a biography. It was a celebration of loyalty, secularism, and service – values that have defined Shabbir Ali’s political life. His journey from a Youth Congress activist inspired by Indira Gandhi to a senior leader guiding policy as Advisor to the Telangana Government demonstrates that politics can be rooted in ideology, conviction, and resilience. (Maxim News)

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