A Bench of Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan also raised an important question during the hearing — whether a political party itself can be disqualified for alleged corrupt electoral practices.

“The candidate can be disqualified, but can a party be disqualified?” the Bench orally observed.

The petition, filed by advocate Vasuki, claimed that TVK had used children as part of its election campaign strategy and alleged instances of “cash-for-votes” during the polls. The petitioner’s counsel told the Court that Vijay had even thanked children in his speech after the election results.

Taking note of the allegations, the Court said the matter required examination and directed the ECI to get instructions and file its response.

“Matter requires some investigation. Get instructions,” the Court told the poll panel’s counsel.

The plea also made allegations against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), accusing them of engaging in corrupt practices during the elections.

During the hearing, one of the lawyers pointed out that allegations of corrupt practices under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 are generally raised against individual candidates through election petitions. The lawyer questioned whether a political party itself could be disqualified under Section 100 of the Act.

The petitioner argued that the “purity and integrity” of the electoral process had been compromised due to allegations of bribery, undue influence on voters and the use of children in election propaganda.

The plea specifically referred to a public meeting held at Chennai’s YMCA Grounds on April 21, where Vijay allegedly asked children to emotionally influence their parents’ voting decisions.

According to the petition, videos later surfaced online showing children pressuring parents and grandparents over whom to vote for.

The petitioner also relied on past Election Commission directions, including a 2017 communication stating that children should not be involved in election-related activities. Earlier communications issued in 2009, 2013 and 2014 had similarly warned political parties against involving children in campaigns, rallies or carrying election material.

Apart from the allegations against TVK, the plea also referred to alleged cash-for-votes practices in constituencies including Mylapore, Alangulam and Thirumangalam.

The petition claimed that despite complaints, videos and media reports being available publicly, the Election Commission and the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer had failed to conduct a meaningful inquiry.

The petitioner has sought directions for a time-bound independent investigation into the alleged corrupt practices by TVK, DMK and AIADMK during the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.