HYDERABAD: The battle lines are being drawn in Khairatabad. With Danam Nagender disqualified by the Telangana High Court, the BRS is now looking for a candidate capable of taking on the Congress leader if a byelection is held, with several names being discussed within the party.
For the pink party, Khairatabad is not just another byelection — it’s a do-or-die battle. Win, and the party signals it’s still a force in Telangana. Lose, and the cadre stares at a crisis.
However, Nagender has approached the Supreme Court against the HC verdict, leaving the possibility of a byelection subject to the outcome of the legal process. Even as the case is being fought in court, discussions have begun within the BRS over who could be its candidate and what political strength the nominee would bring to the contest.
Nagender has a long political association with Hyderabad. He was elected as an MLA from the Telugu Desam Party, Congress and BRS at different points since 1994. He also won Khairatabad on a BRS ticket in 2023 before joining the Congress. His experience and network in the constituency and other parts of the city are among the factors being considered by the BRS while assessing potential candidates.
BRS leaders are discussing several names, including MLC Dasoju Sravan Kumar, who contested the Khairatabad seat as a Congress candidate in 2018 and is considered familiar with the constituency. Sources said his name has emerged as one of the options being examined by the party.
Another proposal under discussion is to field a former minister who has represented one of the Assembly constituencies in Hyderabad several times and belongs to the Backward Class, sources said.
BRS may contact Vijaya if Cong fields Danam
However, some leaders have expressed reservations about the proposal, citing concerns over the political impact of the senior leader losing an election after several successful Assembly contests and a stint as a minister.
The former minister is also understood to be seeking a ticket for his son, who has previously contested a Lok Sabha election but was defeated. Party leaders are weighing whether fielding the senior leader himself would affect the prospects of his son in future elections, sources said.
Another name being discussed in BRS circles is that of former Jubilee Hills MLA P Vijaya Reddy, daughter of late P Janardhan Reddy. Though she is currently with the Congress, Vijaya Reddy, who has twice served as a corporator, is considered to have a presence in Khairatabad and Hyderabad political circles.
Sources said that if the grand old party decides to field Nagender in a possible byelection and differences emerge over the ticket, the BRS could explore the possibility of reaching out to Vijaya Reddy, hoping to entice her into joining the pink party.
The BRS is also looking at the possible contest against the backdrop of its recent performance in Hyderabad.
The party lost the Secunderabad Cantonment and Jubilee Hills Assembly seats in byelections, both of which it had previously held.
For the BRS, leaders said, the Khairatabad contest could therefore become an important test of its organisational strength in the city. The party is seeking a candidate with a strong local connect, electoral experience and the ability to mobilise the cadre.
With Nagender’s Supreme Court challenge pending, the BRS is expected to continue its internal consultations before finalising a candidate, sources said.