In a significant political move, the AIADMK party has submitted a petition to the Election Commission of India (ECI) requesting the disqualification of Chief Minister M K Stalin from the upcoming state assembly elections. The party's advocate wing secretary and Rajya Sabha MP, I S Inbadurai, claims that Stalin has misused government machinery for electoral gains, specifically citing the involvement of government employees in his campaign. Inbadurai referenced a landmark ruling by the Allahabad High Court on June 12, 1975, which declared Indira Gandhi's election void due to similar allegations of engaging a government employee in election-related work. He emphasized that if the ECI does not investigate these claims, the legitimacy of the election could be compromised. The petition also calls for accountability for officials from the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) who are alleged to have assisted Stalin's campaign by providing campaign information to media outlets. The assembly elections are set to take place on April 23.