In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court on Friday upheld the election of DMK candidate Dayanidhi Maran from the Chennai Central constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Justice N Anand Venkatesh dismissed the election petition filed by advocate M L Ravi, who contended Maran’s victory on allegations of electoral malpractices.
Advocate Ravi, also a candidate from Chennai Central, challenged Maran’s election on various grounds, including alleged discrepancies in the election expenditure reported by Maran. The court, however, found these accusations unsubstantiated.
Justice Venkatesh’s judgment addressed several key issues raised in the petition. Firstly, the claim about the improper accounting of expenses for pasting stickers in the constituency was dismissed. The judge noted that there was no concrete evidence to link the stickers directly to Maran, and the petitioner’s claims were based on mere approximations.
Furthermore, allegations regarding the provision of food, beverages, and furniture to booth agents during the election were deemed speculative. The judge emphasized that it is common for party cadres to support their party during elections, and there was no evidence to suggest that these provisions were made by Maran himself.
The court also dismissed claims related to a political rally held on April 14 and 15, 2024. The petitioner used video clippings as evidence to allege Maran’s participation in the rally. However, Justice Venkatesh clarified that the videos did not substantiate the petitioner’s claims, and there was no credible evidence linking the rally’s expenses to Maran.
In his conclusive remarks, Justice Venkatesh stated, “The allegations brought forth by the petitioner are too far-fetched and based on assumptions rather than factual evidence. Therefore, the petition does not establish a cause of action for corrupt practices under Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act.”
