K Sivakumar, the newly elected TVK MLA from Salem North, filed a petition claiming that Vijay’s campaign had used children to pressure voters. The petition, lodged after the April 21 speech, sought to invalidate his 2026 victory. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, hearing the case, allowed the application to proceed. The court’s decision, announced today, does not strike down the election but scrutinises the conduct.
Videos circulated online showing a boy threatening to fling cow dung at a parent unless they voted for TVK, a girl threatening to poison her father, and a child vowing suicide if grandparents did not back the party. Another clip showed a child slapping an elder and shouting at a family member who supported a rival. The petition alleged these reels were orchestrated by adults.
The judge said children could not have independently created such content, citing that 'adults have shown these children the appeal of the leader, made them perform the acts, made reels, and popularised them'—a practice the court called 'in bad taste' and 'cheap and politically motivated'. He added, 'The entire act of involving tender children is in bad taste, reflecting poor parenting.' The court differentiated this from legally established undue influence, noting that exploiting familial emotions does not automatically constitute coercion under the Representation of the People Act.
A mother in Salem’s outskirts said her 12‑year‑old was coaxed into shouting for the Whistle symbol, and her family felt pressure to vote accordingly. The incident highlights how electoral campaigns can spill into private households.
The judge urged Parliament to consider whether children should be prohibited from influencing voting decisions and whether such practices should be grounds to set aside an election. The case will be reviewed by the Madras High Court’s full bench next month, while Parliament is slated to discuss the matter in a special session by the end of the year.