"Supreme Court Stay: Madras High Court's Verdict Voiding Election of AIADMK's Only MP P Ravindranath Kumar Overturned
The Supreme Court, on Friday, intervened to halt the recent Madras High Court decision that invalidated the 2019 electoral victory of P Ravindranath Kumar, the sole All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Member of Parliament representing Theni constituency in Tamil Nadu. The bench, led by Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta, not only granted a stay on the ruling but also issued a notice for further proceedings, scheduling the next hearing for October 4.
Kumar, who is the son of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, found representation in the top court through Senior Advocates KK Venugopal, Kapil Sibal, and Jayant Bhushan, along with advocates Sharan Thakur, Ketan Paul, and Avi Tandon. On the opposing side, Senior Advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, accompanied by advocate Kartik Seth, stood for the complainant, P Milany.
The controversy emerged from a Madras High Court judgment in July, penned by Justice SS Sundar, which nullified Kumar's election win based on allegations of income suppression in his election affidavit. While the High Court refrained from substantiating claims of bribery and corrupt practices, it held that Kumar intentionally concealed information in his affidavit. The court also criticized the returning officer for a perceived bias in accepting Kumar's nomination despite the discrepancies.
Kumar's victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was a rare success for the AIADMK-NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu, securing the lone seat against the dominant DMK-led coalition. Justice Sundar's decision prompted Kumar to approach the Supreme Court, resulting in the current stay order that preserves his parliamentary status for the time being."
TAGS: Supreme Court Madras High Court election victory AIADMK MP P Ravindranath Kumar stay order notice hearing October 4 O Panneerselvam Senior Advocates KK Venugopal Kapil Sibal Jayant Bhushan Sharan Thakur Ketan Paul Avi Tandon complainant P Milany income suppression election affidavit bribery corrupt practices Justice SS Sundar returning officer discrepancies 2019 Lok Sabha polls AIADMK-NDA alliance DMK-led coalition.
