Supreme Court to Hear High-Stakes Tirupattur Election Dispute

In a fresh twist to the ongoing electoral saga in Tamil Nadu, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA Srinivasa Sethupathi has approached the Supreme Court, contesting the Madras High Court's interim order that restricts his participation in the state assembly activities.

The controversy began when a disputed vote count in the Tirupattur constituency saw Sethupathi narrowly defeating DMK minister Periyakaruppan by just one vote. Complicating matters, a postal ballot mishap was alleged; one vote meant for Tirupattur Constituency No. 185 was wrongly registered in Tirupattur Constituency No. 50 in Vellore district.

Responding to a plea from the DMK and finding merit in the arguments presented, the Madras High Court prohibited Sethupathi from the Assembly's confidence vote. The Election Commission's inaction over the claimed postal discrepancies has further escalated tensions, leading to the current Supreme Court intervention.

(With inputs from agencies.)