CHENNAI: A plea has been filed in the Madras High Court challenging the acceptance of the nomination of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate Aadhav Arjuna.

The petitioner, Devarajan, is an independent candidate contesting from the Villivakkam assembly constituency, Chennai.

He alleges that Aadhav Arjuna has concealed material information in his nomination papers, and the returning officer for the Villivakkam Assembly Constituency should not have accepted his nomination. The plea thus seeks to quash his nomination.

The petitioner submits that he came to know that Arjuna, in his election affidavit, has not disclosed full, correct, and true information regarding his criminal antecedents, assets, and liabilities, and that of his spouse, and has thus suppressed material information.

He pointed out that Aadhav Arjuna had not provided details of the private limited companies in which his wife was serving as a Director, holding majority shares, and which are her personal assets. This non-disclosure, according to Devarajan, amounts to material suppression.

The petitioner submits that though he had given a complaint/objection to the returning officer, the same was rejected without conducting any due inquiry or without giving him any opportunity of being heard.

The petitioner has thus argued that the returning officer has failed to look into the veracity of the contents of the written objection/complaint and rejected it on the same day, which shows non-application of mind and the hasty manner in which the complaints are handled.

He has thus sought to challenge the order of the returning officer, rejecting his objections and the subsequent acceptance of Arjuna's nomination.

The matter is expected to be listed for hearing shortly.