Chennai, August 25: The Madras High Court has issued a warning to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and Minister Aadhav Arjun. They must file petitions to dismiss election challenges against them by August 27, or face a fine of ₹50,000.
This warning was given during the hearing of petitions challenging the election victories of the two leaders from the Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies. Justice V. Lakshminarayanan presided over the case.
DMK candidate R.D. Sekar filed separate petitions questioning Vijay’s victory in the Perambur constituency, along with voters Dinesh and Lakshmi Narasimhan. Similarly, DMK candidate Inigo Irudayaraj challenged Aadhav Arjun’s election in Tiruchirappalli East.
During the proceedings, Vijay’s lawyer requested two weeks to file a petition for dismissal. However, the judge denied the request, stating that the court had previously made it clear that no further time would be granted for such filings.
Justice Lakshminarayanan referenced Section 86 of the Representation of the People Act, emphasizing the need for swift resolution of electoral disputes. He insisted that hearings on election petitions should be continuous and completed within six months of being presented to the High Court.
Aadhav Arjun’s lawyer also informed the court that the minister wished to file a petition to dismiss the election challenge and requested additional time to complete the process. The court denied this request as well. Ultimately, the judge granted both Vijay and Aadhav Arjun until August 27 to file their dismissal petitions.
The court made it clear that failure to submit the petitions within the specified timeframe would result in a ₹50,000 fine.
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