Madras High Court Admits Election Petitions Against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay

The Madras High Court has admitted election petitions challenging the victory of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay in the recent Assembly elections. The court also accepted a separate petition questioning the election of Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna, paving the way for further legal proceedings.

A single judge bench led by Justice V Lakshminarayanan directed the petitioners to rectify certain technical defects in their filings within one week. Once the procedural requirements are completed, the court registry will issue notices to Chief Minister Vijay and Minister Aadhav Arjuna, giving them three weeks to file their responses.

The court emphasized that election disputes should be resolved without unnecessary delay and indicated that the hearings should be concluded within six months, ensuring a timely disposal of the matter.

The petitions were filed by DMK candidate Inigo Irudayaraj, who has challenged Vijay’s election on multiple grounds. According to the petitioner, the Chief Minister allegedly failed to disclose details of pending legal cases in his nomination affidavit and did not fully account for election campaign expenses.

The petition also alleges that children were unlawfully used during the election campaign, claiming that such actions violated election rules. These allegations form a key part of the challenge before the High Court.

Inigo Irudayaraj has requested the court to declare Vijay’s election invalid and declare him as the winning candidate instead. He has also sought a stay on the proposed by election process in the Tiruchi East Assembly constituency until the case is decided.

With the petitions now formally admitted, the matter will move to the next stage after notices are issued and responses are filed. The High Court is expected to examine the allegations and evidence before deciding the validity of the election challenge.