Danam welcomes SC order, remains tight-lipped on bypoll ticket

Disqualified Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision upholding his disqualification, expressed confidence of public support in the upcoming by-election, and declined to reveal the party from which he would contest.

Hyderabad: Disqualified MLA Danam Nagender on Thursday expressed confidence that people would continue to support him in the Khairatabad by-election, but declined to reveal which party he would represent in the election.

Speaking to the media persons here after the Supreme Court dismissed his petition challenging the Telangana High Court judgment disqualifying him as MLA, Nagender said he welcomed the apex court’s order.

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After the 2023 Assembly elections, Nagender defected to the Congress in 2024. He contested the Secunderabad Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate while continuing as a BRS MLA. His continuation as MLA was challenged in the High Court, which subsequently disqualified him.

“I had sensed that this situation would arise while contesting the MP elections. I had expected some relief under the Tenth Schedule, but it did not happen,” Nagender said.

He said he would comment on politics only after the by-election schedule was announced and claimed that people would continue to support him. “At this moment, I will not comment on the party on whose ticket I will contest elections. All aspects will be announced after the ticket announcement,” he said.

Nagender said he had remained among the people since the beginning of his political career and claimed that they would support him irrespective of his political affiliation.

“Even during the Secunderabad (Lok Sabha) MP elections (campaign), I made the BJP leaders sweat a lot,” he said.

Nagender also claimed that the Congress government was delivering on the promises made to the people. He said opposition parties were unfortunately blowing issues out of proportion, referring to the farmers’ protests at the Jurala project on Monday.