Chennai, March 4 The Madras High Court has refused to strike down an election petition filed by Vijaya Prabhakaran, son of late DMDK leader Vijayakanth, challenging the Lok Sabha victory of Congress MP Manickam Tagore from Virudhunagar.
Justice N. Sathish Kumar, on Tuesday, directed that the issues in the case be framed for trial and ordered the continuation of the proceedings. The matter has been posted for a hearing next week.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Manickam Tagore contested the Virudhunagar constituency against Vijaya Prabhakaran, the candidate of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK).
After a closely fought battle, Tagore won by a narrow margin of 4,379 votes, securing 3,85,256 votes against Prabhakaran’s 3,80,877.
Following his defeat, Vijaya Prabhakaran filed an election petition seeking a recount of all postal votes, including the rejected ones, in the Virudhunagar constituency. He also requested a recount of votes recorded in the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Prabhakaran alleged that Manickam Tagore suppressed crucial information in his election affidavit and used unfair means to secure victory.
He sought to have Tagore’s election declared null and void and requested relief in his favour. In response, Manickam Tagore argued that the allegations against him were baseless and scandalous, terming the election petition an abuse of the legal process.
Tagore filed a plea in the High Court to strike down the charges against him. However, the court dismissed his request and ruled that the trial must continue.
Manickam Tagore, a senior Congress leader, is serving his third term as a Member of Parliament from Virudhunagar, having won in 2009, 2019, and 2024. He previously lost the seat in 2014.
He currently serves as the Congress party’s whip in Parliament, is a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, and is one of the party’s prominent figures in Tamil Nadu. He also holds the position of AICC in charge of the Telangana Congress, where the party is in power.
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