Six candidates including Velusami Thevar, the 1st respondent, Chellapandian, the second respondent, Ambalavana Pillai, the third respondent, and Arunachalam, the fourth respondent, filed their nomination papers for election from the Alangulam Constituency for the Madras State Legislative Assembly. After the scrutiny of the nominations on 1st February, 1957, the Returning Officer rejected the nomination of Arunachalam, the fourth respondent, on an objection preferred by Chellapandian, the second respondent. Respondents 1, 2 and 3 were the candidates that eventually contested the election. The polling was held on 8th March, 1957. Velusami Thevar, the first respondent, was declared elected.

The objection preferred on 1st February, 1957 by the second respondent to the Returning Officer ran:

“Arunachala Nadar has filed nomination for Alangulam Constituency for Assembly (1). He is employed as Headmaster, National Training School, Tiruchendur, which is run with Government’s grants-in-aid and as such he holds office of profit in a concern, where the State Government has financial interest. Therefore his nomination is objected to as invalid under section 7 (d) and (e) of Act XLIII of 195