Chennai: Madras high court on Tuesday dismissed an election petition challenging the victory of former minister and senior DMK leader Duraimurugan from the Katpadi Assembly constituency in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan dismissed the petition by the then AIADMK candidate V Ramu, who lost the election to Duraimurugan by a margin of 746 votes, as infructuous.Alleging irregularities in the counting of votes, Ramu filed an election petition in 2021 seeking to declare Duraimurugan’s election void and to declare him as the returned candidate.According to Duraimurugan, the term of the 16th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had already ended, and the 17th Assembly had been constituted. Citing several Supreme Court judgements, he contended that since the petition did not contain allegations of corrupt practices, including bribery of voters, it was no longer maintainable after the expiry of the Assembly’s term.Opposing the same, Ramu argued that the expiry of the Assembly’s tenure could not, by itself, render the election petition infructuous. He relied on the recent judgement in the election petition filed by former speaker Appavu, challenging the election of AIADMK candidate I S Inbathurai in the 2016 Assembly elections. Appavu was declared elected even after the expiry of the term of the Assembly.
