The lone Muslim minister in UP promises better performance than in cricket

Lucknow: Mohsin Raza, one of the youngest players to make his cricket debut in Ranji trophy about 33 years ago when he was selected to represent Uttar Pradesh. Destiny had its way as he could not convert his national cricket career into international but in the politics field, he is in the UP council of ministers in four years time since he joined the saffron party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party sprang a surprise when Mohsin Raza was included in Yogi Adityanath's council of ministers as a lone Muslim face on Sunday. It may be deemed as a surprise because the party had not given a single ticket to Muslim candidate and he himself in not a member of either house of state legislature.

Forty nine-year-old Raza, a native of Lucknow, had joined the BJP in 2013 and managed his entry into the state council of ministers headed by Hindutva hardliner Yogi.

Talking to newstrack.com immediately after the swearing-in ceremony, the saffron clad cricketer-turned politician said he would like to clear many misconceptions about the BJP. ''I am in consonance with the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his call to cater to all sections of the society in equitable manner.''

Admitting, he could not fulfill the early promise as a cricketer but sounded doubly sure that he would deliver a knockout performance as a minister of state in UP.

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