In a courtroom drama that underscored the weight of democratic mandates, the Madras High Court on Friday swept away ML Ravi’s petition—a bid to undermine DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran’s victory in Chennai Central. The challenge, steeped in allegations of a campaign misstep, crumbled before the bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh.
Maran’s win was anything but marginal; he captured over 56 percent of the votes, a landslide that left little room for contestation. Ravi had argued that the former campaigner’s decision to run ads past the official campaign deadline—April 19, rather than the designated April 17 cutoff—skirted both the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of People Act.
Yet, the court was unequivocal. The allegations, though dramatic in their presentation, failed to pierce the armor of a decisive electoral mandate. With the petition dismissed, Maran’s position is solidified, reaffirming the resilience of a victory that voters delivered with overwhelming clarity.
