CHENNAI: In a major development, the Madras High Court has cancelled the recently held elections to the Tamil Nadu Football Association (TNFA), citing procedural irregularities and violations of its previous directives.
The court also ordered that fresh elections be conducted after finalising a proper list of eligible members. The Division Bench comprising Justice Anita Sumanth and Justice N. Senthilkumar passed the order on Wednesday while hearing petitions filed by several district football associations.
The petitioners had challenged the inclusion of new members just before the election, terming it a violation of the court’s earlier instructions.
In 2023, the High Court ruled that the TNFA must conduct elections to form a new administrative body, and until then, the existing executive committee would continue to manage the association’s affairs.
Acting on this directive, the TNFA decided to conduct elections in May 2025. However, ahead of the election, four new members, representing Chennai, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, and Tiruchirappalli, were added to the 22-member general body, raising the total number of members to 26.
This move sparked protests from several existing district associations, who alleged that the addition of new members violated the court’s previous order and the association’s bylaws.
The court agreed with the petitioners, stating that the inclusion of new members before the election, without proper process and against court orders, was unacceptable. The judges observed that the election was conducted in violation of established norms and procedures, and therefore could not be considered valid.
“The election held in May is hereby annulled. A new election must be conducted in accordance with the rules,” the bench ruled. The court also issued a set of detailed directions to ensure transparency and fairness in the fresh election process. It instructed that the list of recognised members must be finalised by July 21, after giving one week’s time to raise objections.
A general meeting must be convened to hear the grievances of all members collectively, and not on an individual basis. This meeting must be video recorded for documentation.