Danam Nagender, the Khairatabad MLA who left BRS and joined Congress, with Telangana CM Revanth Reddy.

Aya Ram, gaya Ram, phir aaya Ram: SC upholds BRS MLA's disqualification over Congress switch

The Supreme Court dismissed Danam Nagender's plea against his disqualification after switching to the Congress. The ruling keeps the Telangana High Court order in force and sharpens the focus on anti-defection norms.

by · India Today

In Short

  • SC dismisses BRS MLA Danam Nagender's plea against disqualification
  • Nagender disqualified by Telangana High Court for defecting to Congress
  • Court remarks his case is ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram, phir aaya Ram’

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea by BRS MLA Danam Nagender against a Telangana High Court order that disqualified him after his defection to the ruling Congress. The top court said there was no reason to interfere with the high court’s decision.

During the hearing, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, referred to the matter as a case of party-switching.

“Your case is ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram, phir aaya Ram’?” Justice Bagchi remarked orally, using a phrase commonly associated with politicians who frequently change sides.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Nagender. The Telangana High Court had earlier set aside an order of the Assembly Speaker passed in March this year that had dismissed petitions seeking the MLA’s disqualification.

The high court then declared Nagender, the Khairatabad MLA, disqualified from April 23, 2024, as a member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, noting that he had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Secunderabad constituency on a Congress ticket while continuing as a BRS MLA.

The high court passed its order on petitions filed by BJP floor leader in the Assembly Alleti Maheshwar Reddy and BRS leader P Kaushik Reddy. They had asked the court to quash the Speaker’s order and declare that Nagender stood disqualified under Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule from the date he filed his nomination affidavit for the 2024 general elections.

Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar had on March 11 dismissed the petitions seeking Nagender’s disqualification.

With the Supreme Court now refusing to interfere, the high court order disqualifying Nagender over his switch to the Congress remains in place.

- Ends