New Delhi, April 11 – A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking the cancellation of the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, alleging large-scale voter bribery through cash, gifts, liquor, and other inducements by major political parties, and accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of failing to ensure free and fair elections.
The writ petition, filed by Tamil Nadu resident K.K. Ramesh, seeks a direction to the Election Commission of India and the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer to cancel the 2026 Assembly election in the state, citing that the electoral process has been “compromised” by rampant vote-buying.
In the petition, the petitioner alleges that major political parties, including the DMK, BJP, AIADMK, TVK, and the Congress, are engaging in bribing voters through the distribution of cash and freebies such as laptops, colour televisions, grinders, mixers, fans, goats, and cows.
Claiming that the ECI has failed to curb such practices despite being aware of the situation, the petition states: “Bribery in elections destroys the very foundation of democracy. It is necessary to protect the integrity of the elections, which can only be ensured by taking stringent action against those involved in such bribery activities.”
The petition argues that Tamil Nadu has been categorized by the ECI as an “expenditure-sensitive State” due to recurring high-value seizures during elections, but alleges that the poll body has not taken adequate preventive measures to stop vote-for-cash practices.
Referring to past election seizures, the petition states that during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, enforcement agencies seized cash, precious metals, drugs, and liquor worth Rs 1,324.83 crore in the state, while seizures during the 2021 Assembly polls stood at around Rs 1,000 crore.
Alleging systemic voter inducement, the petitioner claims that in several constituencies, voters were paid between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per vote, and that political parties have devised methods to distribute cash in a way that makes refusal difficult.
“The atmosphere in Tamil Nadu Assembly constituencies is seriously compromised due to the use of money,” the petition says, adding that candidates elected through such a process “would not be true representatives of the electors.”
Seeking judicial intervention, the petitioner has prayed for directions to “cancel the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election” and grant any other relief deemed fit in the interest of preserving democratic values.
The petition further seeks any other appropriate orders or directions that the Supreme Court may deem fit in the interest of justice.
Notably, the broader issue of poll freebies is already under consideration before the apex court in a pending petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
In its 2013 judgment in the Subramanian Balaji case, the top court held that the distribution of free colour television sets by the DMK government after winning the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls could not be treated as a “corrupt practice” under the Representation of the People Act.