New Delhi. Former Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender has approached the Supreme Court challenging his disqualification as a member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly. The Telangana High Court had disqualified him under the anti-defection law on September 18 and declared the Khairatabad Assembly seat vacant. Nagender has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the decision.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice Suryakant on Monday and sought an early hearing. The bench also includes Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana. The Supreme Court has agreed to list the petition for hearing on September 23.

The case arose from disqualification petitions concerning Nagender's political status. Nagender was elected MLA from Khairatabad on a BRS ticket in 2023. He later joined the Congress and contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Secunderabad as a Congress candidate. Disqualification proceedings were subsequently sought against him under the anti-defection law.

Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar had rejected the disqualification petitions against Nagender on March 11, 2026. The decision was then challenged before the Telangana High Court. On September 18, a two-judge bench of the High Court set aside the Speaker's order, held Nagender disqualified with effect from April 23, 2024, and declared the Khairatabad seat vacant.

The Supreme Court will now hear Nagender's petition. Meanwhile, BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy and BJP MLA Aleti Maheshwar Reddy have filed caveats before the Supreme Court, seeking an opportunity to be heard before any order is passed in the matter.

The upcoming Supreme Court hearing will determine the next legal stage concerning the Telangana High Court's disqualification order.