Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking probe into 'irregularities' in TN Assembly trust vote

The Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking a probe into alleged irregularities and horse-trading during the trust vote won by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in the Tamil Nadu Assembly last month.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana rejected the plea, observing that it was based on “vague, wild and casual allegations” and lacked credible material to support the claims.

The petition challenged the trust vote held on May 13, in which the government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay secured a majority in the 234-member Assembly with support from 25 rebel AIADMK legislators and allies. The DMK had staged a walkout during the proceedings.

The petitioner sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations that legislators were influenced through horse-trading and monetary inducements. The plea also requested the imposition of President’s Rule in Tamil Nadu until the completion of the investigation.

During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner argued that democratic institutions across the country were being undermined through alleged defections and inducements offered to lawmakers. The court, however, noted that the petition failed to provide reliable evidence to substantiate the accusations.

Dismissing the matter, the apex court held that there were no grounds for judicial intervention and declined to entertain the plea.

The trust vote had been a crucial test for the newly formed TVK government after actor-turned-politician Vijay assumed office as Chief Minister on May 10. While the opposition had raised allegations of horse-trading at the time, the government had strongly denied the charges.