The Supreme Court has stayed a Madras High Court order that declared the 2019 election of expelled AIADMK member P Ravindhranath from Tamil Nadu's Theni parliamentary constituency as "null and void".
Ravindhranath is son of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Paneerselvam.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta issued notice to P Milany, who filed the petition challenging his election from the Theni constituency.
The court fixed the appeal filed by Ravindhranath against the high court order for hearing.
"Meanwhile, operation of the impugned judgment and order dated July 6, 2023, passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras, shall remain stayed. Resultantly, the appellant (P Ravindhranath) shall be allowed to continue as a Member of Parliament of the 17th Lok Sabha for all intents and purposes till further orders," the bench said in an order passed on Friday.
In his plea before the HC, Milany alleged that Ravindhranath suppressed various materials in his nomination for the election, including the particulars of his movable and immovable assets and liabilities, and those of his family members.
The suppression of the facts materially affected the election, he claimed in his election petition.
On July 6, the high court held that the nomination of the returned candidate had been improperly accepted.
Ravindhranath had defeated Congress veteran EVKS Elangovan in 2019 Parliamentary polls.
