Danam Nagender. File
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday (September 24, 2026) dismissed MLA Danam Nagender’s plea challenging an order of the Telangana High Court which disqualified him following his defection to the ruling Congress, observing it was a case of ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’.
The High Court had set aside an the Assembly Speaker’s order dismissing petitions seeking his disqualification in March this year. Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on March 11 dismissed petitions seeking the disqualification of Nagender as legislator.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana said there was no ground to interfere with the High Court’s order. “Your case is ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram, phir aaya Ram’?” Justice Bagchi remarked orally. The phrase is used to describe politicians who frequently switch sides.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for the MLA.
The High Court had declared Mr. Nagender, MLA from Khairatabad, disqualified as a member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly from April 23, 2024, having contested from Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency on the Congress ticket in 2024, while being a MLA of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
The Court passed the order while dealing with petitions filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) floor leader in Assembly Alleti Maheshwar Reddy and P. Kaushik Reddy of BRS.
The petitioners sought to quash and set aside the Speaker’s order and to declare that Nagender be disqualified as MLA as per the 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule from the date of filing of the nomination affidavit for the 2024 General Lok Sabha elections.
Published – September 24, 2026 03:39 pm IST
