HYDERABAD – Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender is reportedly preparing to resign from his Assembly seat in a tactical move to preempt a potential disqualification by the Speaker under anti-defection laws. Nagender, who was elected on a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) ticket before defecting to the ruling Congress party, is expected to make a formal announcement within the next three days.

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The move comes amid intense pressure from the Supreme Court, which recently pulled up the Telangana Assembly Speaker, Gaddam Prasad Kumar, for the prolonged delay in acting on disqualification petitions filed by the BRS against several of its defected MLAs, including Nagender.

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The Disqualification Threat and Political Calculation

 

Danam Nagender is one of the ten MLAs facing disqualification petitions for switching allegiance from the BRS to the Congress party. His case is considered particularly strong due to his “dual path” of defection:

1. Party Switch: Nagender won the Khairatabad Assembly seat on a BRS ticket in the 2023 elections.

2. Congress Candidacy: He subsequently left the BRS and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Secunderabad constituency on a Congress ticket (which he lost).

Senior Congress leaders and political observers believe the threat of formal disqualification is now unavoidable.

• Why Resign? By resigning voluntarily, Nagender avoids the potentially harsher penalty of being formally disqualified. Judicial precedents (like the 2019 Karnataka case) suggest that an MLA who resigns can contest a subsequent by-election, whereas a formal disqualification could bar them from holding office for several years.

• The Goal: Sources indicate Nagender is preparing to quit the Assembly and re-contest the seat on a Congress ticket in the inevitable by-election, viewing it as the safest route to protect his political future.

Kadiyam Srihari Also Weighs Resignation

 

The political churn is not limited to Khairtabad. Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari is also reportedly considering resignation for similar reasons.

• Srihari’s Dilemma: Like Nagender, Srihari was elected on a BRS ticket but openly campaigned for his daughter, Kadiyam Kavya, who contested and won the Warangal Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket. This action is now being examined as a ground for his disqualification.

• Speaker’s Directive: Both Danam Nagender and Kadiyam Srihari recently met with Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, who has directed them to file their counter-affidavits in response to the BRS petitions.

Congress Confident for Bypolls

 

The potential resignation of the two MLAs would lead to immediate by-elections in the Khairatabad and Station Ghanpur constituencies.

Congress insiders are reportedly confident of retaining both seats, especially following the party’s recent emphatic victory in the Jubilee Hills by-election. Party strategists believe that holding by-elections now would allow them to ride on the current wave of support and consolidate their position ahead of crucial local body and GHMC elections. Political circles expect major developments in both constituencies before November 26.

Key Details

 

• MLA: Danam Nagender

• Constituency: Khairatabad (Hyderabad)

• Original Party: BRS

• Current Party: Congress (Defected)

• Reason for Resignation: To avoid formal disqualification by the Speaker and contest the ensuing by-election.