Madras HC Denies TN MP Navaskani’s Request to Dismiss OPS’ Election Challenge
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Synopsis
The Madras High Court has dismissed K. Navaskani's plea to quash an election petition lodged by O. Panneerselvam, who challenged Navaskani’s victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 16.
Key Takeaways
- Madras High Court dismisses plea by MP Navaskani.
- Election petition filed by Panneerselvam challenging the election results.
- Navaskani won by a margin of 166,782 votes.
- Next hearing set for June 16.
- High-profile election petitions ongoing in the court.
Chennai, April 21 (NationPress) The Madras High Court has, on Monday, rejected a request from Ramanathapuram Member of Parliament K. Navaskani, aimed at quashing an election petition brought against him by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam.
Navaskani, representing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and part of the DMK-led INDIA coalition in Tamil Nadu, achieved a significant win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Ramanathapuram constituency.
He triumphed over Panneerselvam, who ran as an independent candidate with BJP support, by a substantial margin of 166,782 votes.
In response to the election outcome, Panneerselvam lodged an election petition in the Madras High Court, alleging that Navaskani had concealed critical information in his nomination documents and engaged in corrupt practices during his campaign.
In a counteraction, Navaskani approached the court to seek the petition's dismissal.
Justice C.V. Karthikeyan, who presided over the case, chose not to entertain Navaskani’s request, resulting in the dismissal of his petition. The court has scheduled the subsequent hearing for the election case on June 16.
This case is among several high-profile election petitions currently pending in the Madras High Court.
BJP leader and MLA Nainar Nagendran has also filed a similar petition contesting the victory of Congress candidate Robert Bruce from Tirunelveli, who won the seat by defeating Nagendran by a margin of 166,000 votes.
Navaskani is serving his second term as an MP from Ramanathapuram, while Panneerselvam, a former AIADMK leader and Chief Minister, contested the 2024 elections after his expulsion from the party and subsequent alignment with the BJP.
The Madras High Court previously dismissed a petition filed by Navaskani, who also serves as the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, along with six others to annul a charge sheet against them for alleged violations of the election code in 2019.
