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The Supreme Court refused to entertain a PIL seeking the speedy disposal of 54 election petitions related to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections
July 16, 2026: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions for the Madras High Court to expedite the hearing of 54 election petitions arising from the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The petitions challenge the validity of results declared after the elections, in which actor C. Joseph Vijay-led TVK emerged victorious. The bench observed that issuing such directions could set an undesirable precedent.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, heard the matter after senior advocate D.S. Naidu requested the constitution of a dedicated bench for time-bound disposal of the election petitions. The Supreme Court, however, refused to entertain the plea but allowed the petitioner to approach the Madras High Court for the requested relief.
The petition argued that Section 86(7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 requires election petitions to be decided as expeditiously as possible, preferably within six months. It contended that delays in resolving election disputes undermine the integrity of the electoral process, democratic governance, and public confidence in elections.