Chennai, April 27: The Madras High Court has dismissed a significant petition seeking an investigation into the financial details provided in the election affidavit of actor-politician Joseph Vijay. This case is linked to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, where Vijay is contesting for the first time.
The petition was filed by M.P. Venkatesh, a resident of Chennai. He alleged that Vijay’s Form 26 affidavit submitted with his nomination was not entirely accurate or transparent regarding his financial information. Venkatesh pointed out several contradictions within the affidavit.
The court bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice Arul Murugan, refused to hear the petition and dismissed it without any investigation.
Venkatesh claimed that Vijay’s affidavit indicated transactions worth crores of rupees, including substantial loans to family members and certain entities, while stating his liabilities as zero. According to Venkatesh, this information is misleading and does not present the full truth as required by election regulations.
The petition also asserted that Vijay had loaned over 12 crores to his wife and transferred a significant amount to a trust. However, the sources and purposes of these funds were not clearly disclosed.
Citing the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Section 33A, Venkatesh argued that candidates must provide complete and accurate information. He contended that incomplete or incorrect information violates voters’ right to know, which is protected under Article 19(1)(A) of the Constitution.
Despite these arguments, the court declined to accept them and did not order any investigation.
Interestingly, another petition on the same issue remains pending in the High Court. In that case, the court had already issued notices to the Election Commission and the Income Tax Department, alleging that Vijay’s affidavit failed to disclose assets exceeding 100 crores.
Vijay, who launched his party Tamilga Vetri Kazhagam in 2024, is contesting in the 2026 elections from the Perambur and Tiruchi East constituencies.
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