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The Telangana Legislative Assembly Secretariat has officially declared the Khairatabad Assembly constituency vacant following the disqualification of MLA Danam Nagender under the anti-defection law, paving the way for a bye-election.
Assembly Secretary Rendla Thirupathi issued a gazette notification on September 26, which was published on Monday, September 28, declaring Nagender disqualified from the Telangana Legislative Assembly with effect from April 23, 2024.
The gazette notification read: “In pursuance of the judgement by the Telangana high court in writ petition Nos. 8409 and 8647 of 2026 delivered on Sept 18, it is hereby notified that Danam Nagender, member of the legislative assembly, stands disqualified with effect from April 23, 2024, under the paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule with Article 191(2) of the Constitution and the seat stands vacant with effect from April 23, 2024.”
The notification followed the Telangana High Court’s September 18 order disqualifying Nagender under the anti-defection provisions. The court had ruled that Nagender, who was elected as a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA from Khairatabad, attracted disqualification after he contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate from the Secunderabad constituency.
Nagender had challenged the High Court’s order in the Supreme Court, which did not grant him relief. The High Court held that the disqualification took effect from April 23, 2024, when Nagender initiated the process of contesting the Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate.
With the Assembly Secretariat now formally notifying the vacancy, the Election Commission can conduct a bye-election to the Khairatabad seat. Under election law, a bye-election to fill a vacancy in the Assembly is generally required to be held within six months.
