Supreme Court to hear challenge over one-vote election margin in Tamil Nadu

The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear an appeal by DMK leader KR Periyakaruppan regarding the Tirupattur Assembly constituency election results. Periyakaruppan is challenging the victory of TVK candidate R Seenivasa Sethupathi, who won by a single vote margin in the April Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

The appeal follows a Madras High Court decision that rejected Periyakaruppan’s election petition. The petitioner alleges that the Returning Officer failed to properly re-verify 306 rejected postal ballots, which could impact the final outcome.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh has directed that all relevant election records remain intact while the case is reviewed. Respondents, including Sethupathi, have been granted six weeks to file counter affidavits.