DMK Leader Withdraws Petition from Madras High Court
The Madras High Court has formally closed a petition filed by DMK leader KR Periakaruppan, which contested his loss by a single vote to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate R Sreenivasa Sethupathi in the 2026 Assembly elections. The petition was officially withdrawn following the Supreme Court’s allowance for such an action. The case involved the Tiruppattur Assembly constituency, where Periakaruppan alleged a postal ballot error influenced the election outcome.
Supreme Court’s Role in the Petition Withdrawal
On July 21, the Supreme Court permitted the withdrawal of Periakaruppan’s writ petition, pending before the Madras High Court. A bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadikari and Justice Arul Murugan recorded the Supreme Court’s decision to withdraw the plea as a formal dismissal of the writ petition. The court stated, “In fact, the present writ petition has been ordered to be withdrawn by the Honourable Supreme Court itself. On receipt of this order, we formally record that this writ petition stands dismissed as withdrawn.”
Allegations of Ballot Mismanagement
Periakaruppan’s grievance stemmed from an alleged mishandling of a postal ballot intended for his constituency, which he claimed was mistakenly sent to a different Tiruppattur constituency. The ballot was reportedly rejected by the Returning Officer of the wrong constituency instead of being forwarded appropriately. Periakaruppan argued that counting this ballot in his favor could have resulted in a tie, necessitating a tiebreaker by drawing lots.
High Court and Supreme Court Proceedings
Originally, the Madras High Court had imposed restrictions on Sethupathi, preventing him from participating in any legislative proceedings involving the assembly’s numerical strength. However, the Supreme Court promptly stayed this order, criticizing it as “atrocious” because it stemmed from an Article 226 petition filed by Periakaruppan rather than a formal election petition as required by law.
On July 20, Periakaruppan’s counsel revealed to the Supreme Court his intent to withdraw the plea from the High Court but faced complications due to an interim order halting further actions in the case. Subsequently, on July 21, the Supreme Court authorized the withdrawal, stating, “The Writ Petition bearing no. 19287 of 2026 pending before the High Court stands withdrawn. Formal orders may be passed by the High Court upon receipt of copy of this order.”
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Formal Closure of the Petition
With these developments, the Madras High Court has now officially dismissed the petition as withdrawn, concluding the legal challenge filed by DMK’s KR Periakaruppan over his narrow electoral defeat.
