The Madras High Court in a recent ruling declared the election victory of OP Ravindranath Kumar in the Theni Lok Sabha constituency during the 2019 elections as “null & void.”
Ravindranath, representing the AIADMK party emerged victorious with a margin of 76,319 votes, defeating Congress candidate EVKS Elangovan.
Milani, a voter of the Theni constituency, filed an election case in the Madras High Court, claiming that various information including property details had been hidden in his nomination, and hence his victory in the Theni constituency should be declared invalid.
During the trial, Ravindranath personally appeared before the single-judge bench of Justice SS Sundar, providing evidence and refuting the allegations against him. He cooperated with election officials and submitted the necessary documents.
Following the trial, the judge sought clarifications, and upon Ravindranath’s request, the case was approved for re-hearing. Ravindranath appeared in person on June 28, submitting additional documents and providing a statement in response to questions from his counsel.
The petitioner also responded to cross-examination by Milani’s counsel.
Ravindranath vehemently denied the allegations, including improper accounting of property details and money transfers, during the more than three and a half hours of explanation.
The judgment of the case was announced by the Madras High Court on Thursday afternoon, declaring OP Ravindranath’s victory in the Theni constituency invalid and declaring the seat vacant.
In response to a request by OP Ravindranath, the court suspended the case for 30 days, allowing time for an appeal.
Ravindranath was the sole candidate from the AIADMK-BJP alliance to secure a victory in 2019, while the DMK-Congress alliance won 38 out of the 39 seats at stake in the state.
