The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the election petition filed by Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi president ML Ravi challenging the election victory of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s Dayanidhi Maran from the Chennai Central constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls [ML Ravi vs Dayanidhi Maran].

The bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi dismissed the appeal filed by Ravi against Madras High Court verdict upholding Maran's election.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh of High Court had passed two orders in the matter.

In one order, the judge had allowed an application filed by Maran to strike off various allegations made by ML Ravi in his election petition against the DMK leader. Maran had argued that these allegations were made without any supporting evidence.

In the second order, the High Court had found that Ravi's election petition would not survive without the struck-off pleadings. It had therefore, dismissed Ravi's election petition.

"In the light of the order passed in O.A.No.103 of 2025 today i.e dated 07.3.2025, no cause of action survives in this election petition. Accordingly, the above election petition stands rejected," the High Court had said.

When the appeal by Ravi came up for hearing today, the Supreme Court asked how many votes Ravi got.

The CJI later looking at the file and observed Ravi had got only 696 votes.

"Work for the next election, so that more people will support you. Do some more campaigning well in advance," the CJI said.

Maran had won the election comfortably securing more than 56 percent of the votes polled.

Ravi moved the Court contending that Maran breached the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of People Act since his campaign advertisements were published beyond the campaign deadline.

As per Ravi's plea, the campaign for polls ended on April 17, 2024 but Maran published ads in newspapers on April 19, the polling day, urging people to vote for him.