TVK MLA files plea in SC after Madras HC bars him from floor test, hearing tomorrow
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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam MLA R Seenivasa Sethupathi on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court of India challenging an order of the Madras High Court that barred him from participating in the floor test scheduled for Wednesday.
Sethupathi had secured victory in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections from Tiruppattur district by a margin of just one vote, defeating K R Periakaruppan of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant seeking an urgent hearing, after which the case was listed for Wednesday, Indian Express reported.
Earlier in the day, the Madras High Court had issued an interim order restraining Sethupathi from voting or participating in the Assembly floor test.
The order was passed by a bench comprising Justices L Victoria Gowri and N Senthilkumar while hearing a petition filed by Periakaruppan, who had challenged the election result alleging irregularities and discrepancies during the counting process.
The High Court directed that Sethupathi should not participate in any floor test, confidence motion, no-confidence motion, trust vote or any legislative proceeding where the numerical strength of the House could be tested, until further orders were issued.
The bench observed that if Sethupathi’s vote proved decisive in such proceedings, the impact could extend beyond the constituency and potentially affect the constitutional governance of the state.
At the same time, the court clarified that the interim order should not be interpreted as declaring Sethupathi’s election void or seating the petitioner in his place. The judges stated that the court was only examining whether, in light of the serious allegations surrounding a one-vote victory, the returned candidate should be allowed to participate in proceedings where his vote could alter the balance of power in the Assembly.