Madras High Court rejects election petition against one-vote Tiruppattur win
28 September 2026
Madras High Court Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan dismissed an election petition filed by DMK candidate KR Periakaruppan against the one-vote victory of TVK's R Seenivasa Sethupathi in Tiruppattur. The petitioner had argued that postal ballots meant for the constituency were sent to another constituency and rejected. The court found that material facts necessary for an election petition had not been pleaded. It held that the claims about a misdirected postal ballot, counting discrepancies and non-re-verification of postal ballots did not by themselves establish an irregularity that materially affected the result. The order was passed on 28 September 2026.
In plain words
Election petition Petition challenging a result — A petition to a High Court challenging the election of a returned candidate.
Returning Officer Officer who conducts the poll in a constituency — The official who runs the election and declares the result in a constituency.