Hyderabad: After publicly stating that he is ready to face by-elections, former Khairtabad MLA Danam Nagender has reportedly moved the Supreme Court challenging the Telangana High Court’s order on his disqualification.
According to a Times of India report, his petition has not been listed before any Supreme Court bench. However, his counsel is expected to mention the matter for urgent hearing, citing that the HC order effectively renders the Assembly seat vacant.
Both Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have filed caveat petitions in the Supreme Court, urging it to not entertain any challenge to the High Court verdict without hearing them.
High Court disqualifies Danam Nagender
The Telangana High Court on Friday, September 18, disqualified Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender from the Legislative Assembly, setting aside an order by Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar that had earlier rejected petitions seeking his disqualification.
A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin held that Nagender stood disqualified under the anti-defection law for contesting the 2024 Secunderabad Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket while remaining an MLA elected on a BRS ticket.
Haven’t considered approaching Supreme Court: Nagender
On the day of the High Court verdict, Nagender said that he welcomes the court’s decision and said he had not considered approaching the Supreme Court to challenge it.
Addressing the media, Nagender stressed that he had been fighting elections all these years. “If the election schedule is released, I will contest and emerge victorious,” he said.
Asked if he would approach the Supreme Court, he said, “I have not thought about all those issues.” He reiterated that he would prepare to contest elections when the schedule is announced. “Fighting is not new to me. I am prepared to fight,” Nagender said.
Bypoll might be conducted in the next six months
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has yet to announce the voting dates for the Khairatabad bypoll, necessitated by Nagender’s disqualification. Since by-elections are mandated to be held within six months of a seat being declared vacant, the official window places the election deadline around February-March 2027.
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