Madras HC grants time for Dayanidhi's reply on plea contesting his election win
Advocate and president of Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi, ML Ravi, moved the petition seeking to declare Dayanidhi's election to Lok Sabha null and void. Justice N Anand Venkatesh heard the plea.
Madras High Court, Dayanidhi Maaran
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court granted time to DMK Parliamentarian Dayanidhi Maran to reply to a petition challenging his election win, alleging he breached the election model code of conduct.
Advocate and president of Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi, ML Ravi, moved the petition seeking to declare Dayanidhi's election to Lok Sabha null and void. Justice N Anand Venkatesh heard the plea.
On Monday, Ravi filed a counter to the application moved by the MP, seeking to expunge specific paragraphs from the election petition.
The Central Chennai MP's application sought to remove paragraphs from the petition stating he published advertisements in print and electronic media on polling day, which violates the MCC. Ravi also alleged that Dayanidhi held an extravagant campaign on the polling day.
The MP stated that he was not involved in the acts raised by the petition and that his affiliated party had arranged the advertisements; hence, the related paragraphs must be removed.
On behalf of Ravi, Advocate T Sivagnanasambandan filed a counter stating that if the application is allowed, then no election plea can be filed.
He added that the application should be dismissed as an elected MP cannot state he does not know about his party's expenditure on his behalf.
After the submissions, the judge posted the matter to February 26, for Dayanidhi's submission.
Ravi relied upon section 126 of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1951, which states that all campaigning works must be ceased 48 hours ahead of the voting day. He claimed that the Central Chennai candidate of DMK had advertised on the polling day, which swayed the voters and submitted that as a part of the campaign, Dayanidhi had pasted stickers with his photograph, party symbol and leader outside voters' houses.
He contested that the expenditure for these campaign activities was not reflected in Dayanidhi's accounts submitted to the ECI, which violates section 77 (1) of the RP Act.
