Madurai Resident Moves Supreme Court To Cancel Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections

A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India to cancel the upcoming 2026 Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu. 

The petitioner, KK Ramesh, has alleged that ECI has failed to curtail the bribes being offered in the 2026 Assembly election by DMK, ADMK, TVK, BJP, Congress and all regional parties who are giving cash and gifts like laptops, colour TVs and mixer grinders, precious metals, drugs and liquor.

Court has been told that bribing voters is an offense and against the democracy, and violative of basic principle of the Constitution. "We proudly declare that we are the largest democratic country in the world. However, of late, gratifications are being made to the electors in the form of money, food, prizes etc. In fact, the cases reported for distribution of money/gifts to the voter are rising in every election. Bribery in elections destroys the very basis of a democracy. It is necessary to protect the purity and sanctity of the polls, which can be ensured only by taking stringent action against those who are indulging in such bribing activities," the plea states.

The plea further argues that while ECI has classified Tamil Nadu as an "expenditure-sensitive State" based on past trends of high-value seizure during elections, it has not intensified its awareness campaign across the State to curb vote-for-cash practices.

As per the petitioner, an exorbitant amount of Rs.5000 to 10000 has been given per voter in the constituencies in a campaign run by major political parties, while the money has been distributed in such a way that voters could not refuse it. The parties have allegedly distributed money to every person on the voting roll in envelopes inserted in their morning newspapers, with the envelopes containing the said party "voting slip" which instructs the recipient for whom they should vote.

"Tamil Nadu's bribe to vote culture didn't begin with Karunanidhi's colour TVs. It goes back to 1967, when DMK founder Annadurai promised rice at Rs 1 a kilogram and won. What followed over six decades is one of Indian democracy's most extraordinary political spirals: a two-party state with no ideological daylight between its rivals, where each election cycle produces a new, more expensive list of giveaways, from kitchen appliances and goats to laptops and now straight cash, with 2026 manifesto promises collectively touching ₹75,000 crore. But the story isn't simply one of cynical vote buying; some measures — free bus rides for women, the noon meal scheme, subsidised co-working spaces — have delivered real, measurable social change. The line between welfare and bribery is real, and Tamil Nadu has crossed it repeatedly in both directions", the petition states.

Court has been told that members elected on the basis of an election which is not free and fair would not be true representatives of the electors of these constituencies.

Case Title: KK Ramesh vs. The Election Commission & Ors