Raghunandan Rao Targets Nagender | Hyderabad, Sept. 20: BJP Medak MP Raghunandan Rao launched a sharp attack on Danam Nagender following the Telangana High Court’s disqualification of the Khairatabad MLA over defection.
Speaking to the media, Raghunandan Rao criticised Nagender’s political record and alleged that he had repeatedly changed parties depending on which party was in power.
“Earlier, he came from the Telugu Desam Party to the BRS and later moved from the BRS to the Congress. It has become a habit for him to wear the scarf of whichever party is in power,” Raghunandan Rao said.
He also claimed that by-elections had not worked in Nagender’s favour in the past. Raghunandan Rao said Nagender would face another electoral contest if a by-election is held in Khairatabad.
Raghunandan Rao further expressed confidence that the BJP would win the proposed Khairatabad by-election. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce a schedule for the poll.
Raghunandan Rao Targets Nagender after High Court Disqualifies
Nagender won the Khairatabad Assembly seat on a BRS ticket in the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections. He later joined the Congress and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Secunderabad on a Congress ticket while continuing as an MLA.
On September 18, 2026, a Telangana High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin disqualified Nagender as an MLA. The court set aside Telangana Assembly Speaker G. Prasad Kumar’s decision rejecting the disqualification petition and declared the Khairatabad seat vacant.
The court held that Nagender stood disqualified from April 23, 2024, when he contested the Secunderabad Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate while being a BRS MLA. The ruling has paved the way for a fresh election to the constituency.
Nagender has said he is prepared to contest again if an election is announced. He also said he had not decided whether to approach the Supreme Court against the High Court order.
The Speaker is expected to inform the Election Commission about the vacancy, after which the poll schedule will be decided according to the applicable election process.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates and Follow us on GoogleNews
