Thaindian News

Chennai, April 13 (IANS) On a day A. Veldurai, the Congress candidate from Radhapuram in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district, is seeking people’s mandate to re-enter the state assembly, the Supreme Court Wednesday quashed his 2006 election from another constituency.

Velduria’s election to the state assembly from Cheranmadevi constituency, 570 km from here, was annulled as he had contracts with the Tamil Nadu government at the time of filing his nomination in 2006, AIADMK Rajya Sabha member and the complainant in the case P.H. Manoj Pandian told IANS.

“It is a poetic justice. The Supreme Court delivered the judgment in the morning, quashing his 2006 election. Today (Wednesday) the Tamil Nadu people are voting to elect the next government,” Pandian said.

Speaking about the case Pandian said Veldurai had some subsisting contracts with the Tamil Nadu government at the time of filing his nomination for the 2006 elections.

“I had raised the objection at the time of filing the nomination which was rejected. After the elections, I filed a case in the Madras High Court, which had dismissed it. On my appeal, the apex court today set aside his election,” Pandian said.

According to him, Veldurai has to pay back all the money he received - salary, allowances and other payments - during the past five years as a member of the Tamil Nadu assembly.

Reacting to the apex court’s verdict, Veldurai told IANS: “I don’t know why I lost the case.”

He said the decision will not impact his chances of getting elected again as the people are in favour of the DMK-led front.

Queried about paying back the salaries and allowances that he had received during the past five years, he said: “I don’t think there is any such provision in the law to claw back the amount already paid.”