NOB_Nizamabad: In a major setback to the ruling Congress, the Telangana High Court on Friday, September 18, disqualified Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender under the anti-defection law.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G. Mohiuddin set aside the order of Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, who had dismissed petitions seeking Nagender’s disqualification.

The Court declared that Danam Nagender stands disqualified as a member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly with effect from April 23, 2024. The verdict noted that Nagender, who was elected as an MLA on a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) ticket in December 2023, had voluntarily given up his party membership by contesting the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency as a Congress candidate in May 2024 without resigning from his Assembly seat.

The judgment was delivered on writ petitions filed by BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy and BJP floor leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy.

Welcoming the verdict, BRS Nizamabad District Legal Cell Convener Dadannagari Madhusudhan Rao said the High Court order has made it clear that contesting as a Congress MP candidate without resigning as a BRS MLA is open defection. He termed it unfortunate that the Speaker acted in support of the ruling party instead of taking action as per the law, and added that the same fate awaits other BRS MLAs who defected to the Congress.