HC issues notice to Stalin over electoral victory

The Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered issue of notice to DMK leader M K Stalin on a petition challenging his election to the assembly from Kolathur, filed by the AIADMK candidate who lost by 2,600 votes.

When the petition, filed by Saidai Duraisamy, came up for hearing, Justice K Venkataraman issued notice to the former deputy chief minister returnable in four weeks. In his petition, Duraisamy had alleged that Stalin abused his position as the deputy chief minister and misused official machinery during the April 13 Assembly polls.

The judge also issued similar notices to former DMK minister A V Velu, whose election from Tiruvannamalai had been challenged by his AIADMK rival S Ramachandran and to G Anbazhagan of the DMK (Kumbakonam), whose election had been questioned by his AIADMK rival Rama Ramanathan.

Notices were also issued to DMK's K R Periyakarruppan (Tirupattur) and Nallathambi (Egmore SC), whose elections had also been challenged by independent candidates.