Sitting MLA Danam Nagender’s disqualification has reopened the Khairatabad political contest, with the Supreme Court case now determining whether the seat will actually go to a by-election. Meanwhile, BRS, Congress and BJP are preparing for different electoral possibilities.

Legal Battle Holds the Key

The Telangana High Court on September 18, 2026, disqualified Danam Nagender as Khairatabad MLA under the anti-defection law and declared the seat vacant. The court held that Nagender, who had won the 2023 Assembly election on a BRS ticket, had contested the 2024 Secunderabad Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate while continuing as a BRS MLA. The disqualification was made effective from April 23, 2024, the date he filed his Lok Sabha nomination. Nagender has challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court. The apex court agreed to hear the matter urgently, with the case listed for September 23. As of the latest publicly accessible information, there is no confirmed Supreme Court decision restoring his Assembly membership or staying the High Court verdict. Therefore, the timing and even the certainty of a Khairatabad by-election remain tied to the legal proceedings.

2023 Numbers Explain the Stakes

Khairatabad was already a competitive seat in the 2023 Assembly election. Danam Nagender won on the BRS ticket with 67,368 votes, followed by Congress candidate P. Vijaya Reddy with 45,358, while BJP's Chintala Rama Chandra Reddy secured 38,094 votes. Nagender's winning margin was 22,010 votes. These numbers are important because they show that Congress and BJP were not far outside the contest. A by-election, if held, would begin with a political landscape different from 2023, particularly because Nagender himself has since moved to Congress and the BRS-Congress relationship has changed sharply.

BRS Starts Candidate Search

BRS has begun internal discussions on its possible nominee. P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy and MLC Dasoju Sravan are among the names being discussed, according to reports. Sravan has previously contested Khairatabad as a Congress candidate, while Vishnuvardhan Reddy's family has a longstanding political association with the constituency. Other names are also being considered within the party. The BRS calculation is not simply about finding a familiar face. The party would need a candidate capable of reconnecting its organisation with voters after Nagender's departure and converting its earlier vote base into a by-election campaign.

Congress Faces a Candidate Question

For ruling Congress, the immediate question is whether Danam Nagender can contest again, should a by-election be held. Nagender has publicly indicated that he is ready to contest if elections are announced. But his eligibility will depend on the outcome of the legal proceedings, making any Congress candidate discussion premature at this stage. Congress also has to deal with the political fact that its 2023 runner-up, P. Vijaya Reddy, remains a significant name in the constituency's electoral history. Whether the party relies on Nagender, another established leader or a new face would depend on the legal and political circumstances closer to an election.

BJP Looks Beyond Its 2023 Third-Place Finish

The BJP finished third in Khairatabad in 2023 with 38,094 votes, but the party is now preparing a more focused constituency-level campaign. Chintala Rama Chandra Reddy, who contested in 2023, and young leader Indrasena Reddy are among the names being discussed, according to the material provided. The BJP's reported strategy places particular emphasis on young voters, unemployment, local civic problems and urban development. Social media is expected to be an important part of this campaign, especially in reaching younger sections of the electorate.

Youth and Voter-List Changes Could Matter

Another factor is the ongoing voter-list revision in Hyderabad. A recent media report said more than 1.23 lakh voters out of roughly 2.93 lakh electors in Khairatabad had been marked for deletion during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, citing reasons including migration, death and duplicate entries. The report said the deletions occurred across polling booths and communities. If a by-election takes place, the final electoral roll could therefore become an important organisational issue for all three parties. Booth-level verification, voter enrolment and mobilisation could be as important as candidate selection.

Why Khairatabad Matters Beyond One Seat

Khairatabad's importance goes beyond the constituency itself. For BRS, the contest would test its ability to rebuild in an important Hyderabad seat. For Congress, it would put its handling of the Nagender episode and its urban support base under scrutiny. For BJP, the constituency offers another opportunity to expand its presence in Hyderabad. The immediate political contest, however, remains conditional on the Supreme Court proceedings. Until the legal position becomes clear, the candidate names being discussed are possibilities rather than confirmed nominations. If a by-election is eventually notified, the 2023 three-party contest, changing party loyalties, voter-list revisions and Hyderabad's urban political mood could all reshape the electoral equation.