Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 24 (ANI): Welcoming the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender's appeal in a disqualification matter as a "stinging slap" to the ruling Congress, leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Thursday dared the turncoat legislator to face the electorate, asserting that the party is fully prepared to reclaim the constituency in an impending by-election.
The apex court's ruling follows an earlier High Court directive regarding the disqualification petitions filed against Nagender, who won the Khairatabad Assembly seat on a BRS ticket in late 2023 but subsequently defected to the Congress to contest the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency without resigning from the state assembly.
Reacting to the judicial development, BRS representative Abdul Kaleem termed the verdict a victory for the rule of law and an indictment of Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s administration.
"The Supreme Court has effectively directed him: 'Go and face the election, you stand disqualified.' This is a stinging slap to Danam Nagender and the Congress party. Revanth Reddy’s dictatorial style of functioning has met its match; this marks the beginning of the end. Danam Nagender must now face the electorate," Kaleem told ANI.
He added, "The BRS respects the judiciary and the power it holds in India. We are fully prepared for elections. Now our time has come, and we will demonstrate our strength. This applies not just to Danam Nagender, but to all defected MLAs who must face the exact same consequences. We are completely confident and rely firmly on the judiciary’s stance."
Speaking to ANI, BRS leader Madhukar Yadav stated that the residents of the constituency feel vindicated by the judicial order, accusing the MLA of political opportunism and chronic neglect of civic issues.
"We welcome the verdict delivered by the Supreme Court. A couple of weeks ago, the High Court had already ruled that this seat fell vacant the moment Danam Nagender filed his nomination for the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat. The seat has been vacant since, and notices were served to both the Election Commission and the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly. Today's Supreme Court order is a major setback for the Congress in Telangana. Danam Nagender betrayed the BRS after winning on its symbol with the B-form granted by KCR garu, and in doing so, he betrayed the electorate of Khairatabad. He never stayed accessible to the public, never addressed local civic issues, and worked against public interest," Yadav said.
Stepping up the attack, BRS leader Raju Mudiraj targeted the Congress central leadership over its stance on democratic ethics, accusing Rahul Gandhi of practicing double standards on the anti-defection law.
"Regarding Danam Nagender’s dismissal order by the High Court, he approached the Supreme Court on appeal. But today, the public—the people of Telangana—have had their faith in the legal system reinforced. Such turncoats won their seats through the sweat, toil, and hard work of BRS cadres, only to switch parties for personal gain the moment Congress formed the government. Dismissing his appeal is a fitting lesson. Today, the citizens of this country have renewed trust in our judicial system. People like him need to be taught a lesson. Rahul Gandhi lectures in Delhi about the anti-defection law; where are those principles now? What is his state unit doing? When 10 BRS MLAs were inducted into the Congress, where had his morals vanished? Today’s Supreme Court decision is a tight slap across the face of the entire Congress party," Raju told ANI.
Daring the disqualified legislator to test his popularity in the ballot box, Raju added, "Following the High Court’s ruling, Danam Nagender made boastful statements claiming, 'I am a fighter, I will fight.' We say: step into the political arena and test your ground! Let the people of Khairatabad show you what they think of your betrayal. The public is well aware of land-grabbing allegations, public exploitation, and harassment of the poor. For three years, despite winning in 2023, he remained largely absent from Banjara Hills and Khairatabad, showing up only during elections with money power and treating democracy as a mockery. In this by-election, every voter in Khairatabad is determined to defeat Danam Nagender by a historic margin." (ANI)
"A stinging slap to Congress": BRS welcomes SC order on Danam Nagender, dares him to face by-election
