Supreme Court upholds Telangana MLA's disqualification, triggers by-election

The Supreme Court has upheld the Telangana High Court's decision to disqualify Danam Nagender as Member of the Legislative Assembly from Khairatabad, effectively triggering a by-election in the constituency.

Nagender, who was initially elected to the assembly on a BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) ticket, faced disqualification proceedings after he contested the Lok Sabha elections as a Congress candidate. The apex court's dismissal of his plea affirms that his actions constituted a breach of party loyalty and violated anti-defection norms.

The disqualification ruling hinges on the constitutional principle that legislators cannot switch party allegiances without facing statutory consequences. By contesting parliamentary elections under a different banner while holding an assembly seat, Nagender's conduct was deemed inconsistent with the representation he held.

The by-election for the Khairatabad seat is now set to proceed, with electoral authorities expected to announce the poll schedule in due course. The result will determine who represents the constituency in the state assembly as political parties prepare their campaigns.