The latest High Court order disqualifying Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender for defecting from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the Congress has intensified political activity in Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad.
Though Nagender has challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court, there is speculation in political circles over whether the apex court will grant him relief, keeping alive the possibility of a by-election to the Khairatabad Assembly seat.
Within hours of the High Court delivering its judgment, the BRS reportedly began preparations for a possible by-election and started assessing the wider implications of the contest ahead of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections.
BRS chief and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has reportedly begun discussions with senior party leaders over the strategy and candidate selection for Khairatabad.
Several names have emerged within the BRS as possible candidates. They include former minister P Janardhan Reddy’s son Vishnuvardhan Reddy, former MLC Dasoju Sravan, Manne Govardhan Reddy and Sai Kiran Yadav, son of former minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav.
According to party sources, KCR is considering Sai Kiran Yadav for the seat and has reportedly spoken to Talasani Srinivas Yadav about the possibility.
The final decision, however, is expected to depend on legal developments surrounding Nagender’s disqualification and whether a by-election is formally notified.
Talasani Srinivas Yadav remains an important BRS leader in the Greater Hyderabad political landscape, and his family also has an electoral background. Sai Kiran Yadav had earlier contested the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency on a BRS ticket but was defeated.
He was also reportedly interested in contesting the same parliamentary seat in the subsequent election, but the party leadership ultimately fielded another candidate.
The BRS leadership is now believed to be considering his candidature for Khairatabad because of Talasani Srinivas Yadav’s political influence in the constituency.
The former minister played a role in development-related activities in the area during his tenure, and the party is understood to be assessing whether his local network could benefit Sai Kiran Yadav.
Party sources have also pointed to the presence of a sizeable number of voters from various backward-class communities in the constituency and are assessing the family’s local support base while considering the candidate.
KCR has reportedly given directions to his son and BRS working president K T Rama Rao (KTR) regarding the proposed by-election strategy. The party is expected to closely monitor the proceedings in the Supreme Court before formally announcing its candidate.
If the disqualification order remains in force and the Election Commission proceeds with a by-election, the BRS leadership is expected to finalise and officially announce its candidate.
For the BRS, the possible Khairatabad by-election assumes additional significance as it comes against the backdrop of preparations for the Greater Hyderabad civic elections.
The party is therefore assessing the constituency not merely as an individual Assembly contest but also in the context of its broader political and organisational strategy in Hyderabad.
