Discrepancies in election affidavits submitted by actor-turned-politician and TVK founder Vijay for two constituencies have triggered potential legal and political scrutiny ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The contrasting affidavits, filed for the Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies, contain conflicting disclosures regarding pending criminal cases and election-related financial accounts.
The affidavit submitted for the Perambur Assembly constituency, notarised in Chennai on March 30, states that the political leader has no pending criminal cases against him. However, a separate affidavit filed for the Tiruchirappalli East constituency and notarised three days later in Tiruchirappalli declares two pending First Information Reports (FIRs).
As per the Tiruchirappalli affidavit, the cases include one registered at the Koodakovil Police Station in Madurai district and another at the Peravallur Police Station in Chennai. The latter pertains to allegations of public nuisance and injuries caused by bouncers during a recent campaign event.
The inconsistencies extend to financial disclosures as well. The Perambur affidavit mentions a single bank account opened for election expenses at the Indian Overseas Bank, Saligramam branch, with a deposit of Rs 1 lakh. In contrast, the Tiruchirappalli affidavit lists two accounts—retaining the Saligramam account and adding another at the Indian Overseas Bank’s Tiruchirappalli Main branch with a balance of Rs 90,000.
Legal experts note that suppression or misrepresentation of facts in a sworn election affidavit constitutes a serious violation under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Under Section 125A of the Act, failure to furnish information, concealment, or submission of false details can invite imprisonment for up to six months, a fine, or both. In this case, rival candidates could raise objections over the omission of FIR details in the Perambur affidavit, experts add.
There was no immediate response from TVK on the issue.