Madras high court rejects plea to dismiss election petition against Udhayanidhi Stalin's victory

According to a report by The Hindu, the Madras high court has refused to dismiss an election petition challenging the victory of opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni assembly constituency. Justice G. Arul Murugan delivered this significant decision on Friday, 13 November 2026. The court dismissed two applications filed by Udhayanidhi Stalin, which sought the dismissal of the election petition and the striking out of key issues raised by the petitioner. The court has now decided to proceed with the trial in this matter and has directed the petitioner to file their response by 11 December 2026.

The entire controversy began after the 2026 general elections. Udhayanidhi Stalin secured victory by obtaining 62,992 votes, while his closest rival, TVK candidate D. Selvame, received 55,852 votes. P. Milani, who contested as an independent candidate in this election and secured only 30 votes, filed a petition in the high court challenging Udhayanidhi Stalin's victory. Lawyers for Udhayanidhi Stalin argued that the petition was not filed within the statutory limit of 45 days after the declaration of election results, and therefore, it was not legally maintainable.

Udhayanidhi Stalin's side submitted that the election results were declared on 4 May 2026, so according to the rules, the petition should have been filed by 17 June 2026. However, it was claimed that since the petition was filed on 18 June 2026, it was beyond the time limit. His lawyer argued that under Section 81 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it is mandatory to file an election petition within 45 days of the declaration of results. They also argued that the principle of excluding the first day under the General Clauses Act, 1897, does not apply here because the 1951 Act is a special law.

Furthermore, Udhayanidhi Stalin's lawyer also claimed that the Election Commission of India had written to the Registrar General of the high court, clarifying that petitions for the 2026 general elections should have been filed by 17 June 2026. However, Justice G. Arul Murugan rejected all these arguments and refused to dismiss the petitioner's plea. Following this court order, the legal proceedings in this case will now move forward.

Udhayanidhi Stalin is a well-known name in Tamil Nadu politics. He is a senior leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party and is the grandson of former state Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and the son of current Chief Minister M. K. Stalin. He was previously active as an actor and producer before joining active politics. His victory in the 2026 elections and the subsequent legal battle have become a topic of discussion in the state's political circles.