In a dramatic legal turn just hours before a pivotal floor test for the new administration, the Madras High Court on Tuesday issued an interim injunction restraining TVK MLA R Srinivasa Sethupathi from participating in any legislative voting. The order effectively bars the legislator from taking part in the upcoming confidence motion scheduled for the 17th Legislative Assembly.
The ruling, delivered by a vacation bench comprising Justices L Victoria Gowri and N Senthilkumar, follows a legal challenge mounted by DMK candidate and former minister K R Periyakaruppan. Periyakaruppan lost the Tirupattur assembly seat to Sethupathi by the narrowest possible margin: a single vote.
The controversy stems from the April 23 election results in the Tirupattur constituency, where Sethupathi was declared the winner after securing 83,365 votes against Periyakaruppan’s 83,364. Following the declaration, Periyakaruppan approached the court seeking a total recount of the votes cast.
In addition to the recount, the petitioner sought to prevent Sethupathi from taking his oath as an MLA. While the court held a special sitting on Sunday—one day prior to the scheduled swearing-in of the state’s legislators—the most significant restriction arrived on Tuesday with the ban on voting rights.
The High Court’s intervention comes at a high-stakes moment for the C Joseph Vijay-led TVK government. The administration is slated to face a floor test this Wednesday, marking only three days since the Chief Minister and his cabinet were sworn into office.
Under the terms of the interim injunction, Sethupathi is prohibited from casting a ballot in:
- The upcoming confidence motion.
- Any future no-confidence motions.
- All other legislative voting procedures until further notice.
As the 17th Legislative Assembly prepares for its first major test of strength, the absence of the Tirupattur representative’s vote adds a layer of uncertainty to the proceedings. The court’s decision highlights the ongoing legal volatility surrounding one of the closest electoral finishes in the state’s recent history.
