HC dismisses Congress MLA's application

Chennai, Mar 15 (UNI) Madras High Court today dismissed an application filed by Congress MLA P Veldurai, raising preliminary objections to the election petition filed by defeated AIADMK candidate P H Manoj Pandian, seeking to set aside the election of Veldurai from Cheran Mahadevi Assembly constituency during the May 2006 poll.

Mr Justice S R Singaravelu dismissed the preliminary objection petition filed by Veldurai and posted the election petition for trial to April 16.

In his order, the judge said the court cannot seperate some paragraphs in the election petition and delete or strike them on the grounds of its vagueness because it was found that they were supplemental to other paragraphs including the paragraph, in which allegations of subsisting contract was clearly pleaded.

In his election petition, Manoj Pandian submitted that Veldurai should be disqualified from holding any seat in the Legislative Assembly under section 9-A of the Representation of People Act read with section 100 (1) (a) and section 9 (A) there of, he having in the course of his business, entered into a number of contracts with the state government for execution of works undertaken by the state government, which were subsisting on the date of election and are subsisting even after his election to the Assembly.

UNI