Madras HC bars TVK MLA from voting ahead of crucial floor test

Sethupathi, who represents the Tirupattur constituency, secured his seat by the narrowest possible margin of just one vote—83,365 against DMK’s K.R. Periyakaruppan, who polled 83,364 votes.

Post Published By: Sujata Biswal

Updated : 12 May 2026, 2:08 PM IST

Madras HC bars TVK MLA from voting

Chennai: In a significant legal setback for the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the Madras High Court has issued an interim injunction restraining MLA R. Srinivasa Sethupathi from participating in any legislative voting, including the upcoming confidence motion.

Sethupathi, who represents the Tirupattur constituency, secured his seat by the narrowest possible margin of just one vote—83,365 against DMK’s K.R. Periyakaruppan, who polled 83,364 votes. The court’s order specifically bars him from voting in the confidence or no-confidence motion for the 17th Legislative Assembly.

Key Details of the Injunction

Bench: The order was passed by a vacation bench comprising Justices L. Victoria Gowri and N. Senthilkumar.
Petitioner: K.R. Periyakaruppan, former minister and DMK candidate, challenged the election result and sought a vote recount.
Timing: The injunction comes just a day before the TVK government, led by C. Joseph Vijay, faces its mandatory floor test on Wednesday.

Background

Periyakaruppan’s legal challenge initially aimed to prevent Sethupathi from taking his oath. While the oath-taking proceeded as scheduled, the court held a rare special sitting on Sunday to address the matter urgently before the assembly convened.

The restriction adds a strategic complication for the newly sworn-in TVK administration, which must now navigate the floor test without the participation of its narrowest-margin MLA—an issue that could test the stability of Vijay’s government in the early days of its tenure.