Supreme Court Orders Re-Hearing for 2011 Challenge to Stalin's Election
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ordered a re-hearing of a 2011 election case against former Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M.K. Stalin after reserving the verdict in February 2026.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Saidai Duraisamy who lost to Stalin in the 2011 elections from Kolathur constituency had moved Madras high court with a civil election petition, challenging Stalin's election. He had claimed that Stalin and the DMK had distributed cash and gifts and printed voter slips with the symbol of the DMK.
Duraisamy was then mayor of Chennai and had lost by a margin of 2,739 votes.
The Madras high court dismissed Duraisamy's plea. In 2017, Duraisamy moved Supreme Court against the Madras high court order.
After a detailed hearing, the apex court reserved its verdict in February 2026.
Three months afterwards, the Supreme Court ordered on May 15 that the case be heard again.
"The matter is released and be listed for re-hearing before a Bench of which none of us (J.K. Maheshwari, J. and Vijay Bishnoi, J.) is a
member after obtaining appropriate orders from Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India," the order says.
Justice J.K. Maheshwari who reserved the verdict in the case is retiring in June. May 29 is his last working day.
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