The Madras High Court is scheduled to hear an urgent petition on Sunday filed by former Tamil Nadu Minister K.R. Periyakaruppan, a senior leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party. The petition seeks to prevent Srinivasa Sethupathi, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam candidate, from being sworn in as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. This comes after Sethupathi won by a mere one vote in the recent Assembly elections.
The legal battle revolves around the closely contested Tiruppathur Assembly constituency in Sivaganga district, which witnessed one of Tamil Nadu’s tightest electoral outcomes. Srinivasa Sethupathi secured 83,365 votes, narrowly defeating K.R. Periyakaruppan, who garnered 83,364 votes, with a slim margin of just one vote.
Allegations of significant irregularities during the vote counting process have prompted Periyakaruppan to approach the High Court. He is seeking a vote recount and an interim injunction to prevent Sethupathi from assuming office until the dispute is resolved. Periyakaruppan’s petition highlights the alleged misplacement of postal ballots meant for the Tiruppathur constituency in Sivaganga district to a similarly named constituency in Tirupathur district.
Amid the evolving political scenario in Tamil Nadu post the Assembly elections, the petition holds political significance. The outcome of the High Court’s decision on the interim plea is crucial, especially given the razor-thin victory margin of just one vote. This makes every postal ballot a critical factor in determining the final election result.
