Supreme Court Upholds Disqualifications and Election Results

The Supreme Court of India issued two separate rulings on September 24, 2026, upholding lower court decisions regarding legislative eligibility and election integrity.

In the first case, the court dismissed a petition by former Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender, upholding a Telangana High Court judgment that disqualified him from the Telangana Legislative Assembly. The court ruled that Nagender violated the anti-defection law by contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the Indian National Congress while still serving as an MLA elected under the Bharat Rashtra Samithi ticket. The disqualification is effective from April 23, 2024, leaving the Khairatabad seat vacant.

In a separate matter, the court dismissed challenges to the election of Mufti Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalique, an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA for the Malegaon central constituency. The ruling affirmed a Bombay High Court decision to reject a petition alleging that Khalique used corrupt practices, including threats of divine displeasure and the distribution of pamphlets against women candidates, to win the November 2024 Maharashtra assembly polls. The court found these allegations unsubstantiated and determined the petition lacked a sufficient cause of action to proceed to trial.