Hyderabad: Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Thursday welcomed the Danam Nagender verdict and called it a lesson for both Congress and BRS. The Supreme Court upheld the Telangana High Court’s disqualification of former Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender under the anti-defection law. The apex court dismissed Nagender’s plea and found no ground to interfere with the High Court judgment.
Nagender won the Khairatabad Assembly seat as a BRS candidate in 2023. However, he contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Secunderabad as a Congress candidate while continuing as an MLA.
Reacting to the judgment in New Delhi, Kishan Reddy accused both Congress and BRS of encouraging defections while in power. He said the judgment highlighted the importance of respecting the voters’ mandate. Reddy also criticised what he described as “opportunistic” politics involving party defections.
Danam Nagender verdict leaves Khairatabad seat vacant
Following the Danam Nagender verdict, the Khairatabad Assembly constituency fell vacant. Kishan Reddy said voters would now have an opportunity to elect a new representative. He also appealed to them to reject what he called “defection-driven politics.”
Meanwhile, Reddy said the BJP would contest the forthcoming Khairatabad Assembly by-election.