K.R. Periyakaruppan, a leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, has approached the Madras High Court with a writ petition aimed at preventing Seenivasa Sethupathy of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) from participating in an upcoming trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The trust vote is scheduled to occur on or before May 13, 2026, following the appointment of Chief Minister designate C. Joseph Vijay. Periyakaruppan, who lost the 2026 elections in the Tirupattur constituency of Sivaganga district by a mere one vote, contends that the election process was flawed, particularly in the counting of postal votes. He argues that the votes were not recounted properly and insists that video evidence of the recounting process should be presented in court. The court is set to hold an urgent hearing on May 10, 2026, to determine the maintainability of the writ petition. Should the court rule in favor of Periyakaruppan, it could significantly impact the TVK's strength in the Assembly by reducing their voting power by one vote during the trust vote.