Danam Nagender ready for Khairatabad bypoll, silent on party affiliation

Danam Nagender, who is disqualified as Khairatabad MLA, said that he was ready to face the electorate whenever the by-election to the constituency is held, but remained tight-lipped about the party from which he would contest.

The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 24, 2026) morning dismissed Mr. Nagender’s petition challenging the Telangana High Court’s September 18 order disqualifying him as an MLA under the anti-defection law. He had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Secunderabad on a Congress ticket while continuing as the Khairatabad MLA, which the court found was overwhelming evidence for defection.

Reacting to the Supreme Court’s dismissal of his petition challenging his disqualification, Mr. Nagender said he welcomed the judgment and respected the court’s decision. “I welcome the Supreme Court’s judgment and honour it,” he said.

With the Supreme Court quashing Mr. Nagender’s petition, the Khairatabad Assembly seat now falls vacant, and a by-election has to be held.

Asked whether he would contest the by-election, Mr. Nagender said he was ready whenever the election is held. However, he declined to disclose whether he would seek the ticket from the Congress or any other party. “I will tell you after I get the ticket,” he said while speaking to reporters in Hyderabad on Thursday (September 24, 2026).

Mr. Nagender was elected on the BRS ticket in 2023 from Khairatabad Assembly constituency in Hyderabad, but moved closer to the Congress a few months later. His long political career has been associated with the Congress where he held important portfolios under former Chief Ministers Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy, K. Rosaiah and Kiran Kumar Reddy in the combined Andhra Pradesh.