Madras High Court Upholds Election Challenge Against Congress MP Manickam Tagore
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Synopsis
The Madras High Court has chosen not to dismiss an election petition by Vijaya Prabhakaran challenging the election of Congress MP Manickam Tagore from Virudhunagar, allowing the case to proceed.
Key Takeaways
- The Madras High Court refused to dismiss an election petition.
- Vijaya Prabhakaran filed the petition against Manickam Tagore's victory.
- Tagore won the election by a narrow margin of 4,379 votes.
- Prabhakaran seeks a recount of all postal votes and EVM votes.
- The court ruled that the trial must continue.
Chennai, March 4 (NationPress) The Madras High Court has declined to dismiss an election petition brought forth by Vijaya Prabhakaran, the son of the late DMDK leader Vijayakanth, contesting the Lok Sabha win of Congress MP Manickam Tagore from Virudhunagar.
On Tuesday, Justice N. Sathish Kumar instructed that the case issues be outlined for trial and ordered the proceedings to move forward. A hearing has been scheduled for next week.
During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Manickam Tagore ran for the Virudhunagar seat against Vijaya Prabhakaran, who represented the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK).
In a tightly contested election, Tagore emerged victorious by a slim margin of 4,379 votes, garnering 3,85,256 votes compared to Prabhakaran’s 3,80,877 votes.
Following his loss, Vijaya Prabhakaran submitted an election petition requesting a recount of all postal votes, including those that were rejected, in the Virudhunagar constituency. He also sought a recount of the votes recorded on the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Prabhakaran accused Manickam Tagore of withholding critical information in his election affidavit and employing unfair tactics to secure his win.
He aimed to have Tagore’s election declared invalid and sought relief in his favor. In response, Manickam Tagore contended that the allegations were unfounded and scandalous, describing the election petition as an abuse of legal proceedings.
Tagore submitted a motion to the High Court to dismiss the allegations against him. However, the court rejected his plea and determined that the trial should continue.
Manickam Tagore, a senior leader of Congress, is currently in his third term as a Member of Parliament from Virudhunagar, having won elections in 2009, 2019, and 2024. He faced a defeat in 2014.
He is presently the whip for the Congress party in Parliament, is a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, and is recognized as one of the key figures of the party in Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, he serves as the AICC in charge of the Telangana Congress, where the party holds power.
