Section 54A in Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919
54A. [ Election petitions. [Substituted by the Tamil Nadu Municipal Corporation Laws (Amendment and Special Provisions) Act, 1994 (Tamil Nadu Act 26 of 1994).]
(1)No election of Mayor Or a councillor shall be called in question except by an election petition presented to the Principal Judge, City Civil Court, [Chennai], within [forty-five days] [Substituted for 'fifteen days' by Tamil Nadu Act 22 of 2001.] from the date of the publication of the result of the election under section 53.(2)An election petition calling in question any election may be presented on one or more of the grounds specified in section 54-B by any candidate at such election, by any elector of the division concerned or by any councillor.(3)A petitioner shall join as respondents to his petition all the candidates at the election.(4)An election petition-(a)shall contain a concise statement of the material facts on which the petitioner relies;(b)shall, with sufficient particulars, set forth the ground or grounds on which the election is called in question; and(c)shall be signed by the petitioner and verified in the manner laid down in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Central Act V of 1908) for the verification of pleadings.(5)[ The trial of an election petition shall, so far as is practicable consistently with the interest of justice in respect of the trial, be continued from day to day until its conclusion, unless the Principal Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai, finds the adjournment of the trial beyond the following day to be necessary for reasons to be recorded.] [Inserted by the Tamil Nadu Act 10 of 2001.](6)[ Every election petition shall be tried as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to conclude the trial within six months from the date on which the election petition is presented to the Principal Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai for trial.] [Inserted by the Tamil Nadu Act 10 of 2001.]
