NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday sought hearing in the Supreme Court on the appeal of his rival AIADMK leader Saidai S Duraisamy against the Madras High Court verdict dismissing the election petition against him that had alleged corrupt practices on his part in the 2011 assembly polls.
The bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal and lawyer Amit Anand Tiwari that the plea against the Chief Minister has been pending since 2017 and the election case pertained to 2011 assembly polls. "You are already elected then what is your problem," the bench asked Sibal.
"This is the 2011 election petition against the present Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. This was supposed to be listed on January 31, 2018...There are allegations of corrupt practices against me. That is why we seek the hearing," the senior lawyer said. "I do not know which bench was hearing. We will see," the CJI said.
The Madras High Court, in 2017, had dismissed the election petition of AIADMK leader Saidai S Duraisamy, who had lost the 2011 assembly polls to the DMK leader from Kolathur assembly constituency by a margin of 2,739 votes.
Duraisamy had alleged distribution of money to voters of in the constituency and exceeding of the prescribed expenditure limit as also conducting of supplementary counting.
The plea seeking urgent hearing, filed through Tiwari, said the Duraisamy's appeal challenging the high court's decision upholding the election of the DMK leader in the 2011 assembly polls was admitted on August 18, 2017.
"The appeal was directed to be listed for hearing in January 2018. Thereafter the matter was listed on January 31, 2018, the court directed the Appeal to be listed on March 20, 2018. However, the matter was not listed...This is an election petition which is required to be heard and decided expeditiously, it is pending for last 5 years and because of pendency hardship is caused to the Respondent (present CM)," the plea said.