Election plea challenging Udhayanidhi’s win dismissed

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed an election petition filed against the victory of DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin from Chepauk-Triplicane constituency in the 2021 state Legislative Assembly elections.

Justice V Bharathidasan granted the injunction on allowing the application filed by Udhayanidhi. The DMK leader submitted that he had not suppressed any information in his election affidavit related to the cases pending against him.

“Even as the charge sheets were not filed in cases against me, I declared those case details in my election affidavit and nomination. It is also noted that not even court proceedings have commenced against me in the 22 cases registered against me,” Udhayanidhi submitted through his counsel. The MLA also noted that the EC did not find any infringement in his affidavit.

Agreeing with Udhayanidhi’s submissions, the judge rejected the plea by R Premalatha, a voter from Chepauk-Triplicane constituency.

The petitioner had prayed for a direction to declare the acceptance of the nomination filed by Udhayanidhi and his electoral success as null and void. She submitted that the details furnished by Udhayanidhi in column 5 (ii) Sub column (d) in the tabulation of the election affidavit did not have proper information about the cases pending against him.