Telangana BJP demands defected MLAs resign after HC disqualifies Danam Nagender
Synopsis
A Telangana High Court ruling disqualifying BRS-turned-Congress MLA Danam Nagender has lit a political fuse — with the BJP now demanding that all 10 defected MLAs resign immediately. The verdict overturns the Assembly Speaker's earlier dismissal of disqualification petitions, and the BJP has already announced it will file a caveat to block any Supreme Court appeal, setting up the next high-stakes round in Telangana's defection battle.
Key Takeaways
The Telangana High Court on 18 September 2026 disqualified BRS-turned-Congress MLA Danam Nagender , overturning Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar's earlier dismissal of disqualification petitions.
Nagender was one of 10 BRS MLAs who defected to Congress in 2024 following the party's Telangana election victory.
Telangana BJP president N.
Ramchander Rao called the ruling a 'significant victory on moral, legal, and constitutional grounds' and demanded all defected MLAs resign.
BJP Floor Leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy , whose petition prompted the ruling, said the party will file a caveat to pre-empt a Supreme Court challenge.
Friday's order covers only two petitions related to Nagender; cases against the remaining defected MLAs are yet to be decided.
Telangana BJP on Friday, 18 September 2026 welcomed a Telangana High Court verdict disqualifying Danam Nagender — one of 10 BRS MLAs who switched to Congress in 2024 — and called on all defected legislators across the state to immediately resign and seek a fresh mandate from voters. The ruling overturned Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar's earlier decision dismissing disqualification petitions, delivering what the BJP termed a landmark constitutional vindication.
The High Court Verdict
The Telangana High Court on Friday pronounced its order on two petitions pertaining to Danam Nagender, setting aside the Speaker's earlier ruling that had dismissed disqualification bids on the ground that petitioners had failed to provide sufficient evidence of defection. The court's intervention was triggered by a challenge filed by petitioners including BJP Floor Leader in the Assembly, Alleti Maheshwar Reddy. Nagender was among 10 BRS MLAs who crossed over to the Congress party in 2024, a wave of defections that drew fierce criticism from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
BJP's Reaction and Demands
Telangana BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao described the verdict as 'a significant victory on moral, legal, and constitutional grounds.' In a pointed attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Ramchander Rao posted on X: 'How justifiable is it for Rahul Gandhi — who frequently carries a copy of the Constitution — to allow the 10th Schedule and the Anti-Defection Law (introduced by his own father) to be so blatantly disregarded?' He alleged that the Congress government in Telangana is perpetuating the same defection culture that its predecessor, the BRS government, practised.
Ramchander Rao further declared: 'This verdict serves as a stinging rebuke to the Congress party. The High Court's ruling makes it clear that the Congress party has suffered both a moral and legal defeat.' He demanded that all defected MLAs, 'respecting democracy and the Constitution,' resign immediately and face fresh elections.
Maheshwar Reddy's Statement
Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, whose petition was among those that led to Friday's ruling, called the verdict 'a victory for the BJP's struggle in the courts to uphold democracy.' He said: 'The court has rejected the Speaker's attempts to shield Danam Nagender, who contested as an MP after winning on one party's ticket and subsequently joining another. This verdict deserves to be written in golden letters in the history of our democracy.'
Maheshwar Reddy urged the Congress to refrain from approaching the Supreme Court and instead direct all defecting MLAs to resign and face the electorate directly. 'We will also file a caveat regarding this matter by tomorrow,' he added, signalling the BJP's intent to pre-empt any legal challenge to the verdict.
Background: The 2024 Defections
The controversy traces back to 2024, when 10 BRS MLAs shifted allegiance to the Congress party following its victory in the Telangana Assembly elections. Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar had dismissed the disqualification petitions filed by BRS and BJP legislators, citing insufficient evidence of formal defection. Critics argued the Speaker's ruling was a shield for the ruling party, and the High Court's Friday order on the Nagender petitions appears to vindicate that concern, at least in part. Notably, Friday's ruling covered only two of the multiple petitions before the court — the remaining cases involving other defected MLAs are yet to be adjudicated.
What Comes Next
With the BJP announcing a caveat filing to guard against a Supreme Court challenge, the legal battle over Telangana's defected legislators is far from over. The Congress government's response to the verdict — whether it appeals or complies with calls for resignations — will likely shape the political temperature in Hyderabad in the coming weeks. If the High Court's reasoning is applied uniformly to the remaining petitions, the other defected MLAs could face similar disqualification proceedings.
Point of View
Disqualification petitions routinely gather dust, making judicial intervention the only corrective. The BJP's demand for voluntary resignations is politically sound but practically toothless; no party has voluntarily surrendered legislative seats over defection rulings. What matters more is whether the court's reasoning in the Nagender case travels to the other nine pending petitions — if it does, the Congress government in Telangana faces a genuine numerical threat in the assembly. The episode also renews the national debate on whether the Speaker should be replaced by an independent tribunal for anti-defection matters, a reform long discussed but never acted upon.
NationPress
19 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Danam Nagender disqualified by the Telangana High Court?
The Telangana High Court disqualified MLA Danam Nagender on 18 September 2026 after finding that he had defected from the BRS to the Congress party in 2024, violating the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. The ruling overturned Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar's earlier decision, which had dismissed the disqualification petition on grounds of insufficient evidence.
Who filed the petition that led to Nagender's disqualification?
The petition was filed by BJP Floor Leader in the Telangana Assembly, Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, along with BRS legislators. Maheshwar Reddy challenged the Speaker's decision to dismiss the original disqualification plea in the High Court.
What is the BJP demanding after the High Court verdict?
The Telangana BJP is demanding that all 10 BRS MLAs who defected to Congress in 2024 immediately resign from their assembly seats and seek a fresh mandate from voters. State BJP president N. Ramchander Rao also called out Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allowing the Anti-Defection Law to be disregarded.
How many BRS MLAs defected to Congress and what happens to the remaining cases?
Ten BRS MLAs defected to Congress in 2024. Friday's High Court order covers only the two petitions pertaining to Danam Nagender; disqualification cases involving the other defected MLAs are yet to be adjudicated and could follow a similar trajectory given the court's reasoning.
What is the Anti-Defection Law and why is it relevant here?
The Anti-Defection Law, enshrined in the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and introduced under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, disqualifies elected representatives who voluntarily give up party membership or vote against party directions. It is relevant because the Telangana defection case centres on whether the 10 BRS legislators who joined Congress violated this law, a question the High Court has now answered affirmatively for Danam Nagender.
