HC sets aside Speaker's order, disqualifies Congress MLA over BRS defection

The Telangana High Court on Friday disqualified Danam Nagender, a BRS MLA who defected to the ruling Congress, setting aside an order of the Assembly Speaker in March this year dismissing petitions seeking his disqualification.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh declared Nagender, MLA from Khairatabad here, disqualified from April 23, 2024, as a member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, having contested from Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency on the Congress ticket in 2024, while being a MLA of the BRS.

The court passed the order while dealing with petitions filed by BJP floor leader in Assembly Alleti Maheshwar Reddy and P Kaushik Reddy of BRS.

The petitioners sought to quash and set aside the Speaker's order and to declare that Nagender be disqualified as MLA as per the 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule from the date of filing of the nomination affidavit for the 2024 General Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, Nagender said he welcomed the High Court order.

Reacting to the court's order, he told reporters, "Whenever the schedule comes for the election, I will fight and I will win. Fight is not new to me."

Asked if he will approach the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict, he said he has not thought about it so far but is gearing up to fight the election.

Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on March 11 dismissed petitions seeking the disqualification of Danam Nagender as legislator.- EndsPublished By: Sayan GangulyPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 22:32 IST