Chennai, Sep 8 (IANS) The Madras High Court has dismissed an election petition challenging AIADMK candidate S. Jayakumar’s victory from the Perundurai Assembly constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections, removing a key legal obstacle to the conduct of a by-election in the seat.
Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy’s order came on an application filed by Jayakumar seeking rejection of the election petition moved by former DMK candidate Thoppu Venkatachalam, also known as N.D. Venkatachalam.
The court held that Venkatachalam’s petition did not disclose a cause of action warranting the continuation of the election dispute. On that ground, it accepted Jayakumar’s plea and dismissed the challenge to his election.
Jayakumar had contested the Perundurai seat on an AIADMK ticket in the Assembly election and secured victory by a margin of 9,693 votes.
The constituency later fell vacant following a major political realignment as Jayakumar resigned as an Assembly member after voting in support of the CM Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government. He subsequently left the AIADMK and joined the TVK.
His resignation created the need for a fresh election in Perundurai. However, the pending case filed by Venkatachalam had prevented the Election Commission from immediately moving ahead with the electoral process.
The vacancy had therefore remained under political and electoral scrutiny.
Perundurai was one of five Assembly constituencies covered by an earlier order of a division bench headed by the Chief Justice, which had restrained the Election Commission from conducting or announcing by-elections in those constituencies until the election petitions connected with the seats were disposed of. The latest ruling has now concluded the election dispute concerning Perundurai. Consequently, the legal restriction linked to the pending petition no longer operates in relation to the constituency, enabling the poll authority to consider the next steps for filling the vacancy.
The court’s decision does not itself amount to an announcement of a by-election.
The schedule, nomination process and polling arrangements will have to be determined and formally notified by the Election Commission.
Venkatachalam, who had approached the High Court after losing the contest, has since resigned from the DMK.
With his petition rejected and Jayakumar no longer representing the constituency, attention is expected to turn to the Election Commission and the political parties preparing for a possible fresh contest in Perundurai.
–IANS
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