Danam Nagendar’s disqualification sets stage for Khairatabad by-election

High Court on Friday disqualified Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagendar. It also declared the Khairatabad Assembly seat vacant, paving the way for a by-election

Hyderabad: Following the Telangana High Court judgment on Friday, Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagendar has become the first legislator to be disqualified from the Assembly in Telangana after the State’s formation.

Setting aside Speaker G Prasad Kumar’s decision to reject the petition seeking the Khairatabad MLA’s disqualification, the High Court disqualified Danam Nagendar with effect from April 23, 2024. It was the date when he contested the Secunderabad Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate despite being elected as a BRS MLA.

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The High Court also declared the Khairatabad Assembly seat vacant, paving the way for a fresh election. The judgment has triggered discussions in political circles over a possible by-election in the constituency.

Since the 2023 Assembly elections, this would be the third by-election in Greater Hyderabad after the Secunderabad Cantonment and Jubilee Hills by-elections. The two by-elections were necessitated by the deaths of sitting BRS MLAs Lasya Nanditha (Secunderabad Cantonment) in an accident on February 24, 2024, and Maganti Gopinath (Jubilee Hills) on June 8, 2025.

The Speaker is now expected to inform the Election Commission of India (ECI) about the vacancy in the Khairatabad constituency. The ECI will announce the by-election schedule after considering various factors.