Election row: Madras HC blow to Chidambaram, to face trial

Chennai, June 7 (ANI): In a major blow to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, the Madras High Court (HC) on Thursday refused to reject a plea filed by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader RS Raja Kannappan challenging the former's election from the Sivaganga constituency in the May 2009 Lok Sabha elections, making way for the home minister's trial.

Kannappan, who narrowly lost to Chidambaram by 3,354 votes, had alleged rigging and "manipulation" of elections, and had filed the petition seeking declaration of the election as void.

He had claimed that votes secured by him in the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th rounds of counting in the Alangudi assembly segment were "ingeniously added to Chidambaram's kitty and vice versa".

Chidambaram is already under fire from the opposition for his alleged role in the multi crore 2G- spectrum scam and Aircel-Maxis deal during former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran's term. (ANI)