Member of Parliament P. Raveendranath Kumar on Friday filed an application before the Madras High Court to reject an election petition preferred by a voter challenging his victory from the Theni constituency on May 23, 2019. He claimed that the petitioner suppressed the fact of “belonging to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.”
Justice M.S. Ramesh directed V. Arun, counsel for the election petitioner P. Milany, to file a counter affidavit, on or before March 20, to the MP’s plea for rejecting the election petition in toto and also to strike off certain crucial paragraphs in which he had been accused of indulging in corrupt practices to secure the victory.
In his petition, Mr. Milany identified himself as a 38-year-old mechanical engineer from Palanichettipatti in the Theni taluk. He filed the election petition accusing the MP as well as his father O. Panneerselvam, the incumbent Deputy Chief Minister, of having misused the government machinery during the election.
Refuting the allegations, Mr. Kumar said the petition should not be entertained at all since it was bereft of material facts and particulars regarding the alleged corrupt practices. The petitioner had failed to provide proof to substantiate the allegations and had filed the case based on assumptions and presumptions, he claimed.
“The election petitioner has also suppressed the material fact that he belongs to the opposing party DMK and has misrepresented to this honourable court as if he has filed the election petition as an honest and responsible voter. Per contra, the petition is politically motivated... Suppression proves the mala fides behind the petition,” he said.
Stating that the election petitioner had gone to the extent of accusing the Election Commission officials of connivance, the MP said: “These allegations are mala fide and nothing but an endeavour to slander me, my party AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and also the Election Commission of India.”
The MP also said that the aim of the Representation of the People Act of 1951 was to give primacy to the decision of the voters and to recognise the right of the returned candidate to carry on with his constitutional duties without being hindered by frivolous litigations filed solely on the basis of conjectures and surmises.
“The election petitioner has, in fact, insulted the intelligence of the electorate by calling them gullible and describing the constituency as a dangerous mixture of money and power. This itself is reflective of the petitioner’s open prejudice against the ruling party, the Election Commission and the people of Theni constituency,” he added.
