# Madras High Court asks ECI to consider guidelines on MLA resignations 2026-09-16T11:52:04+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Madras High Court has asked the Election Commission of India to consider framing guidelines to prevent MLAs from resigning immediately after elections and contesting bypolls from another party. The court orally remarked that such conduct could amount to a 'mockery of democracy' and insult voters. The observation came during a PIL hearing concerning two former AIADMK MLAs who resigned and were fielded by the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. ## Indian Opinion Analysis LiveLaw and The Hindu both provided detailed neutral accounts of the hearing, quoting the court and the advocate general. NDTV led with the dramatic quote in its headline, offering little beyond that. The uniform coverage reports the court's oral remarks but also notes that the matter has been adjourned and the first bench has reserved orders on related petitions. The real test is whether the ECI takes up the court's suggestion to frame guidelines, and whether the first bench delivers a ruling on the pending challenge to the resignations. ## Coverage - livelaw.in (neutral report) Reports court observations and petitioner arguments without editorial slant. - thehindu.com (neutral report) Straight news report with balanced quotes from court and government side. - ndtv.com (sensationalist) Leads with dramatic quote 'Mockery Of Democracy' in headline, minimal detail. Tags: AIADMK, Election Commission of India, Madras High Court, Tamil Nadu, TVK Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/madras-high-court-asks-eci-to-frame-guidelines-on-resigning-mlas/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/madras-high-court-asks-eci-to-frame-guidelines-on-resigning-mlas/#story-in-brief