The Madras High Court has restrained Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA Seenivasa Sethupathi from participating in the assembly floor test, following concerns raised by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) over a possible mix-up of postal votes between two similarly named constituencies. The DMK alleged that postal ballots from Tiruppattur in Sivaganga district were inadvertently exchanged with those from Tiruppattur district near Vellore, potentially affecting the election outcome.
One-Vote Victory Sparks Controversy
In the recently concluded election, Sethupathi secured 83,375 votes, while DMK candidate K R Periyakaruppan received 83,374 votes, resulting in a razor-thin margin of just one vote. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai stated, "If the single disputed vote is counted in the DMK's favour, the tally would become equal, requiring a toss of a coin to decide the election." The court has directed Sethupathi to refrain from voting until the writ petition reaches a conclusion.
Counting Day Drama
The intense contest between DMK and TVK extended until 1:30 am on counting day. Periyakaruppan held the lead until the 16th round, but from round 17 onward, Sethupathi gained momentum. When the counting of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) concluded, Sethupathi led with 819 votes, securing 83,010 votes against Periyakaruppan's 82,191 votes. However, the addition of postal ballots dramatically altered the final count: Periyakaruppan received 1,183 postal ballots, while Sethupathi got 365, bringing the final tally to 83,374 for Periyakaruppan and 83,375 for Sethupathi.
EVM Irregularities and VVPAT Verification
District Election Officer K Porkodi reported that mock polls for two EVMs were not cleared, and the control unit of one EVM malfunctioned, necessitating vote counting from Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. "When the margin is one vote, as per ECI guidelines, we were made to re-verify the 306 rejected postal ballots," the collector said. After re-verification, no valid votes were found that could alter the margin. The returning officer decided against ordering a recount, providing a written explanation for the decision.
The DMK has challenged the result, citing the potential mix-up and the irregularities in EVM and VVPAT processes. The court's interim order restrains Sethupathi from voting in the floor test until the case is resolved, adding further uncertainty to the political landscape.
