Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Supreme Court Upholds Disqualification of Defected BRS MLA
Danam Nagender was elected to the Telangana Assembly as a BRS member.
He later joined Congress and contested a national election on its ticket.
Some politicians asked that he lose his Assembly seat because of this change.
The Telangana Assembly Speaker initially rejected their petitions.
The Telangana High Court later disqualified Nagender from April 23, 2024.
Nagender asked the Supreme Court to overturn that decision.
The Supreme Court refused and upheld the High Court’s ruling.
A judge used “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram” to describe changing political parties.
The Supreme Court dismissed Danam Nagender’s challenge to his disqualification as a Telangana MLA.
The court found no ground to interfere with the Telangana High Court’s order.
Nagender was disqualified effective April 23, 2024, after contesting the Secunderabad Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket while serving as a BRS MLA.
The Telangana High Court had overturned Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar’s March 11 decision rejecting disqualification petitions.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi described the case as “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram, phir aaya Ram,” referring to political switching.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, Danam Nagender, the Telangana High Court, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, and petitioners Alleti Maheshwar Reddy and P Kaushik Reddy.
- What
- The Supreme Court dismissed Nagender’s plea challenging his disqualification as a Telangana legislator.
- When
- The Supreme Court ruling was issued on September 24; the High Court’s disqualification took effect on April 23, 2024, and the Speaker rejected the petitions on March 11.
- Where
- The case concerns the Telangana Legislative Assembly, the Telangana High Court, and the Supreme Court.
- Why
- Nagender joined Congress and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election on its ticket while serving as a BRS MLA, prompting petitions under Clause 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule.
Case for Disqualification
Challenge to Disqualification
Effect of changing parties
Case for Disqualification
Alleti Maheshwar Reddy and P Kaushik Reddy sought Nagender’s disqualification under Clause 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule after he joined Congress and contested the Lok Sabha election on its ticket.
Challenge to Disqualification
Nagender challenged the High Court order through his Supreme Court plea, with senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for him.
Speaker’s decision
Case for Disqualification
The petitioners sought to overturn the Speaker’s March 11 decision rejecting their disqualification petitions and to have Nagender disqualified from the date of his Lok Sabha nomination affidavit.
Challenge to Disqualification
The BRS counsel denied that the party had condoned Nagender’s conduct and noted that a BRS member had filed one of the disqualification petitions.
- MLA
- Danam Nagender, representing Khairatabad
- Supreme Court decision
- Plea dismissed; no ground was found to interfere with the High Court order
- Disqualification
- Effective April 23, 2024
- Political change
- Nagender joined Congress and contested the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat on its ticket after being elected as a BRS candidate
- Speaker’s order
- Gaddam Prasad Kumar dismissed the disqualification petitions on March 11
- Relevant provision
- Clause 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule
- Supreme Court bench
- Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana
