Chennai, 10 July (H.S.) :The Madras High Court on Friday stayed the Election Commission of India's move to issue the notification for bypolls to five vacant Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu until July 31, observing that election petitions challenging the victories of the resigned MLAs are still pending before the court.

The interim order was passed in connection with petitions relating to the Assembly constituencies of Tiruchy East, Perundurai, Ambasamudram, Viralimalai and Karur.

The vacancies arose after the May 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, who had won from both Tiruchy East and Perambur, subsequently resigned from the Tiruchy East constituency after opting to retain the Perambur seat. The remaining four constituencies also fell vacant following the resignations of their respective elected representatives.

The court noted that election petitions challenging the validity of the victories of the resigned MLAs are pending adjudication and directed that no notification for by-elections be issued until further orders.

The High Court also issued notices seeking responses from the Union government, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar. The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 31.

The interim stay effectively puts on hold the Election Commission's process for conducting by-elections to the five Assembly constituencies until the court takes up the matter again later this month.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman