Dr K A Paul welcomes the Telangana High Court verdict disqualifying Danam Nagender and calls for examination of cases involving nine other MLAs.
Hyderabad: Praja Shanti Party president Dr. K. A. Paul has welcomed the Telangana High Court’s decision to disqualify Danam Nagender as a member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly under the anti-defection law.
The Telangana High Court on Friday set aside the earlier decision of the Assembly Speaker and disqualified Nagender as an MLA with effect from April 23, 2024. The court linked the disqualification to his move from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the Indian National Congress and his subsequent candidature from Secunderabad in the 2024 Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket. The court also directed authorities to communicate the order to the Assembly Speaker and the Election Commission.
Paul Calls for Review of Other MLA Cases
Dr. Paul said the verdict raises a broader constitutional issue involving elected representatives who change political allegiance after receiving an electoral mandate.
“I welcome the judgment of the Hon’ble High Court of Telangana. This is not about one individual or one political party. It is about respecting the mandate of the people and ensuring that constitutional provisions governing elected representatives are applied in accordance with law,” he said.
Paul also referred to a Public Interest Litigation he filed before the Telangana High Court in 2024 concerning 10 BRS MLAs who subsequently moved towards the Congress. Danam Nagender featured among the legislators named in the petition.
He called for the competent authorities to examine the remaining cases individually and according to applicable law.
“There are other MLAs whose cases involve similar circumstances. I urge the competent authorities to examine those matters without political considerations and take whatever action is warranted under the Constitution and applicable law,” Paul said.
Paul Highlights Constitutional Accountability
Paul said the issue should also be viewed in the broader context of India’s electoral and constitutional institutions.
He referred to earlier judicial developments involving elected representatives, including the 1975 Allahabad High Court judgment concerning then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and proceedings related to defections involving BSP legislators in 2007.
Paul said each case must remain subject to its own facts and the applicable legal provisions.
“Political parties and governments may change, but the Constitution remains. The electoral mandate belongs to the people, and every elected representative has a responsibility to respect the constitutional framework under which that mandate was received,” he said.
The High Court’s ruling has left the Khairatabad Assembly seat vacant.
