MLA Defection Ruling
Telangana High Court Disqualifies Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender Over Party Defection
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Key Points
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Nagender was defeated in the 2024 Secunderabad Lok Sabha election, despite contesting as the Congress candidate.
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Nagender’s lawyers argued that newspaper reports and photographs showing him meeting Congress leaders were insufficient on their own to establish legally valid defection, and noted that Assembly records continued to identify him as a BRS MLA.
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The ruling comes amid a broader political shift in Telangana: nine other BRS MLAs also switched allegiance to Congress between March and August 2024, including Kadiyam Srihari, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and Tellam Venkat Rao.
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The two writ petitions challenged the Speaker’s March 11, 2026 orders after the High Court had reserved judgment on August 21; the petitioners sought to have those orders quashed and set aside.
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The court directed that its order be sent to both the Secretary of the Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker and the Election Commission of India.
The Telangana High Court disqualified Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender under India's anti-defection law, overturning the Assembly Speaker's earlier decision to keep him in office Indian Express. Nagender was elected on a BRS ticket in 2023, switched to Congress in 2024, and contested the Secunderabad Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate without resigning from the Assembly Daily Pioneer. The court ruled his actions constituted voluntarily giving up BRS membership, effective April 23, 2024, leaving the seat vacant ANI News.
How Nagender's Party Switch Led to Disqualification
Nagender won the Khairatabad seat in 2023 on the BRS platform. He later switched to Congress and ran for the Lok Sabha from Secunderabad in 2024 as a Congress candidate Newsable. He lost that race but never resigned from the Assembly. The court found this dual membership violated anti-defection rules under the Constitution's Tenth Schedule, Paragraph 2(1)(a).
The petitions against Nagender were filed by BJP MLA Alleti Maheshwar Reddy and BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy ANI News. Nagender's lawyers argued that newspaper reports and photos of him meeting Congress leaders were not enough to prove defection. They claimed Assembly records still listed him as a BRS MLA.
Speaker's Earlier Decision Gets Reversed
In March 2026, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar rejected the petitions against Nagender Daily Pioneer. He said the evidence did not establish legal defection. The High Court disagreed. On August 21, judges reserved their judgment after hearing both sides.
The court ultimately ruled the Speaker failed to properly consider the significance of Nagender contesting for Congress without resigning from the Assembly. The disqualification takes effect from April 23, 2024 Daily Pioneer.
Part of Larger Congress Surge in Telangana Politics
Nagender's defection was not isolated. Nine other BRS MLAs switched to Congress between March and August 2024 Indian Express. Notable switchers included Kadiyam Srihari, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, and Tellam Venkat Rao. The exits marked a major shift in Telangana politics after the BRS lost power.
The court directed its order be sent to the Assembly Speaker and the Election Commission of India ANI News. The ECI will likely oversee the process for filling the now-vacant Khairatabad seat.
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