The Madras High Court will examine four election petitions challenging Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s victory from the Perambur Assembly constituency. While the petitions place his election under judicial scrutiny, Vijay continues to hold office unless the High Court sets aside his election.
The Madras High Court directed the Election Commission of India to furnish election records relating to Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin to an unsuccessful candidate seeking to challenge the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni election result. The Court held that delaying access to documents cannot defeat a candidate’s statutory right to file an election petition.
The Madras High Court stressed that election petitions must be decided within a reasonable time, warning that prolonged delays undermine electoral accountability and democratic principles. Criticising the six-year pendency of the Radhapuram election appeal, the Court described the situation as a “grave mockery of justice.”
