NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a writ petition seeking directions to the Madras High Court to expedite the hearings of 54 election petitions and decide them within a timeline, noting that such directions, if passed, “would set a bad precedent”.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana, dismissed the petition as withdrawn, granting liberty to petitioner K Venkatachalapathy to approach the High Court for suitable directions.
During the hearing on Thursday, senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, appearing for the petitioner, informed the bench that at least 54 election petitions have been filed in the HC concerning the 2026 Assembly polls.
One petition concerns a victory by a margin of a single vote, Naidu said. He also referred to the mandate under Section 86(7) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1951, as per which the election petitions are to be decided within a period of six months.
Observing that it would set a bad precedent, the court, however, said the petitioner must first approach the Madras High Court seeking appropriate orders for early disposal of the pleas.
Recently, the Madras HC, while declaring a candidate as the winner 10 years after the election, criticised the Supreme Court for causing a delay in the decision by staying the High Court proceedings for years.