Danam Nagender Disqualified as Khairatabad MLA, Seat Declared Vacant
The Telangana Legislative Assembly Secretariat has issued a gazette notification declaring the Khairatabad Assembly seat vacant following the disqualification of Danam Nagender.
The notification states that Nagender stood disqualified as an MLA with effect from April 23, 2024. The Telangana High Court had issued the disqualification order on September 18, 2026, and the Supreme Court later upheld the decision on September 24. The Assembly subsequently issued the gazette notification on September 26.
Why Was Danam Nagender Disqualified?
Nagender was elected from Khairatabad as a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) candidate in the December 2023 Assembly elections.
He later contested the 2024 Secunderabad Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate while continuing as an MLA. This led to petitions seeking his disqualification under the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution.
The Telangana High Court set aside the Assembly Speaker’s decision rejecting the disqualification petitions. The court held that Nagender’s Assembly membership stood cancelled from April 23, 2024, the date on which he filed his nomination as a Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha election.
Nagender challenged the High Court ruling in the Supreme Court. On September 24, the Supreme Court dismissed his challenge and upheld the High Court’s decision.
Khairatabad Seat Now Vacant
With the Assembly’s gazette notification, the Khairatabad constituency has formally been recorded as vacant from April 23, 2024.
The development clears an important legal hurdle for a possible Khairatabad Assembly by-election. The Election Commission of India will have to announce the election schedule and other poll-related details.
Electoral Roll Changes Could Be Significant
The proposed by-election could also take place against the backdrop of changes to the electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
According to the figures cited in the draft-roll exercise:
- 2023 electorate: 2,93,667
- Draft-roll electorate: 1,70,195
- Names listed for exclusion: 1,23,472
- A large number of electors were categorised under Absent, Shifted, Death and Duplicate (ASDD) categories.
- Claims and objections are expected to determine the final composition of the electorate.
The final electoral roll will be important because it will establish the number of eligible voters who can participate in the by-election.
What Happened in the 2023 Assembly Election?
The 2023 Khairatabad Assembly election produced the following result:
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Danam Nagender | BRS | 67,368 |
| P. Vijaya Reddy | Congress | 45,358 |
| Chintala Ramachandra Reddy | BJP | 38,094 |
The constituency recorded a voter turnout of about 52.34%, with 1,53,730 votes polled.
These figures provide the previous electoral baseline, although any comparison with the upcoming by-election will need to account for changes in the electoral roll and the political circumstances since 2023.
What the By-Election Could Mean
The Khairatabad contest is expected to attract attention from the major political parties in Telangana.
Congress will face the challenge of defending its position after Nagender’s move from the BRS to the party and his subsequent disqualification.
BRS will seek to contest the seat after its former MLA was disqualified, making the constituency an important test of its organisational strength.
BJP, which finished third in the 2023 Assembly election, will also be looking to build on its previous performance.
The eventual contest will depend on candidate selection, campaign strategies, voter participation and the final electoral roll.
What Happens Next?
The immediate focus will now shift to the Election Commission of India and the final electoral roll.
The ECI will determine the schedule for the Khairatabad by-election. Political parties are also expected to begin preparations, including candidate selection and constituency-level campaigning.
With the legal proceedings now settled and the Assembly formally recording the seat as vacant, Khairatabad is set for another closely watched electoral contest in Telangana.