CM’s appeal to kids for votes: Plea in Madras High Court seeks an inquiry by Election Commission

A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court for ordering an inquiry by Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay having made an appeal to kids to ensure that the adults in their families vote for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party during the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly polls.

A summer vacation Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan on Thursday (May 21, 2026) sought the response of ECI by May 29, 2026 to the PIL petition which has also sought an inquiry regarding allegations of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) having distributed cash for votes.

L. Vasuki, a 39-year-old advocate from Cuddalore district had filed the case through her counsel Kanimozhi Mathi. The litigant pointed out that the polling for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections were held on April 23, 2026 and the results were declared on May 4, 2026. During the course of campaigning, almost all major political parties indulged in electoral malpractices, she alleged.

Referring to the Chief Minister’s last election campaign speech delivered at the YMCA grounds in Chennai on April 21, 2026 when he had made an earnest appeal to children to ensure that all the adults in their families vote for TVK, the petitioner claimed that the appeal amounted to “exploitation of minor children for electoral propaganda and indirect voter influence.”

She also brought to the notice of the court a number of videos that were posted on the social media of children pressurising their parents, grand parents, uncles, aunts, elder brothers and elder sisters to vote for TVK. Contending that the appeal by the Chief Minister would fall under the definition of electoral corrupt practice, the litigant said, the ECI ought to have taken immediate action.

Further, referring to a representation made by anti corruption organisation Arappor Iyakkam to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on April 22, 2026 for rescinding the polls in Alangulam, Mylapore and Tirumangalam constituencies, the petitioner said, the representation had clearly highlighted distribution of money to the voters by the DMK and AIADMK members in those constituencies.

“Despite the seriousness of the allegations affecting the purity of the electoral process, no effective or transparent inquiry appears to have been initiated by respondents 1 (ECI) and 2 (CEO),” the petitioner complained to the court and sought a direction to the commission to conduct a time bound and independent inquiry into the issue of political parties having indulged in corrupt practices.