The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a fresh petition seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate the assets declared by actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay. The plea was filed in connection with the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. It challenged the disclosures made by Vijay in his election affidavit submitted under statutory requirements.
The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan at the Madras High Court in Chennai. After reviewing the submissions, the bench rejected the petition at the admission stage itself. The court refused to order any inquiry into the asset declaration, effectively closing the request for ECI intervention.
The petition was filed by Chennai resident MP Venkatesh, who raised objections to what he described as “unexplained” financial transactions in the affidavit. He specifically questioned a Rs 12.6 crore loan reportedly extended by Vijay to his spouse without clearly stated repayment terms. He also pointed to a Rs 20 crore transfer made to a trust, alleging that the source and purpose of the transaction were not adequately disclosed.
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Venkatesh argued that these entries indicated a pattern of “financial obfuscation” and possible suppression of material facts. He claimed that such disclosures failed to meet the legal requirement of full, true, and meaningful declaration under Form 26. The petitioner also invoked provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, including Section 33A and Section 125A, which deal with disclosure obligations and false affidavits.
He further contended that incomplete or misleading information in election affidavits undermines electoral transparency and affects voters’ right to make informed decisions. According to him, such lapses warrant scrutiny by the Election Commission to ensure compliance with statutory norms. However, the bench was not persuaded by these arguments and declined to proceed with the matter.
In his election affidavit for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Vijay declared movable assets exceeding Rs 404.58 crore. The declaration includes significant bank balances, investments, and other financial holdings. It also details an extensive luxury vehicle collection featuring models such as BMW i7, BMW 530, Toyota Lexus 350, and Toyota Vellfire, among other vehicles and two-wheelers.
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