Chennai: Madras high court on Wednesday rejected a petition challenging the election of former law minister and DMK MLA S Regupathy. The plea was moved by TVK candidate C Chinthamani, who lost the election from the Thirumayam assembly constituency.“On a perusal of the entire election petition, it is revealed that all the allegations are vague, bald, and devoid of any basis,” Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan said.Although the election petitioner states that the returning officer did not follow a proper counting process in several booths, the averments are completely silent on the specific manner and procedure of the alleged default, the court added.Insofar as the other allegation that Regupathy did not disclose the criminal cases pending against him in his election affidavit, the court said, “On a perusal of the election petition, there is no pleading as to what specific particulars were suppressed, which FIR or criminal case remains pending against the applicant, or whether he has been convicted in any case.“Both primary allegations have been made without specific pleadings or material facts; hence, there is no independent cause of action against the applicant to maintain the election petition. Chinthamani lost the election to Regupathy by 1,492 votes.
