Chennai, Sept 16:
The Madras High Court has dismissed an election petition challenging the election of former Minister and DMK MLA E V Velu from the Tiruvannamalai Assembly constituency, holding that there was no ground to proceed with the election petition.
Velu had contested the recently concluded Assembly election from Tiruvannamalai and was declared elected with a margin of 2,455 votes. His election was subsequently challenged by Arul Arumugam, the candidate of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Arul Arumugam had approached the Madras High Court seeking to challenge Veluās victory. In response, Velu had filed a petition seeking dismissal of the election case at the preliminary stage, contending that there were no valid grounds for the court to proceed with the petition.
Justice T Bharathachakravarthy, who heard Veluās plea, considered the grounds raised in the election petition and concluded that there was no sufficient basis to proceed with the case. The judge accordingly dismissed the election petition filed by TVK candidate Arul Arumugam.
The dismissal means that the challenge to Veluās election from Tiruvannamalai will not proceed before the High Court on the grounds raised in the petition.