Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Cabinet Skip State Iftar After EC Denies Permission Over Poll Code

Telangana government had previously faced criticism over reports that nearly Rs 70 crore was allocated for the Iftar celebrations

The event, hosted at LB Stadium in Hyderabad, was initially set to include state ministers, Members of Parliament, legislators, and other public representatives.

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Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Cabinet ministers were absent from the state-sponsored Iftar party on Tuesday after the Election Commission (EC) denied permission for their participation, citing the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in effect for the upcoming Legislative Council elections, reported The Hindu.

EC Denies Permission

The event, hosted at LB Stadium in Hyderabad, was initially set to include state ministers, Members of Parliament, legislators, and other public representatives, as per a report on IANS. However, with the MCC coming into force following the announcement of the election schedule for the Hyderabad Local Authorities' Constituency, the state government had sought approval from the EC to conduct Iftar gatherings across Telangana and allow political leaders to attend. The request was rejected, as conveyed by the Chief Electoral Officer to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), which later released a copy of the communication to the media.

Despite the absence of key political figures, officials from the Minority Welfare Department, along with representatives from institutions such as the Waqf Board, Haj Committee, and Urdu Academy, attended the event. The gathering also saw the presence of several prominent personalities from different sectors.

Meanwhile, the state government had previously faced criticism over reports that nearly Rs 70 crore was allocated for the Iftar celebrations. Various Muslim organisations, including the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), had urged authorities to redirect the funds toward clearing outstanding fee reimbursements for minority students. Similarly, the Welfare Party of India (WPI) called for a boycott, citing the Congress government’s unfulfilled promises and the lack of Muslim representation in the state Cabinet.

Activists, including Lubna Sarwath, Anwarullah Khan, and Syed Ismail, also appealed to the Chief Minister to reallocate the budget towards education, employment and empowerment programs for minorities instead of spending it on Iftar festivities.