Madras High Court to rule on plea against Nasser and Vishal leading Nadigar Sangam
The Madras High Court is scheduled to pass orders on July 1, 2026, on a plea seeking the rejection of a civil suit that challenges the continuance of actors Nasser, Vishal Krishna, and Karthi as office-bearers of the South Indian Artistes Association, popularly known as the Nadigar Sangam, beyond their elected term.
Justice A.D. Maria Clete decided to deliver the orders on the plea to reject the plaint filed by association member V. Nambirajan. The suit challenges a resolution passed at the association's 68th annual general meeting (AGM) on September 8, 2024, which allowed the current leadership to continue past their term.
Nasser currently serves as the president, Vishal Krishna as the general secretary, and Karthi as the treasurer of the association. Their three-year elected term, which began on March 21, 2022, expired on March 19, 2025.
During the court proceedings, Nadigar Sangam's counsel, Krishna Ravindran, pointed out that Nambirajan challenged only the AGM resolution and not a subsequent Government Order (G.O.) issued by the Tamil Nadu government on October 14, 2025. This G.O., issued under Section 54 of the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, officially extended the tenure of the office-bearers until March 19, 2028.
Justice Maria Clete questioned how the plaintiff would benefit even if the court declared the AGM resolution illegal, given the existence of the subsequent state government order.
In his plaint, the 79-year-old Nambirajan contended that the association's bylaws require elections to be held once every three years. He argued that elections should have been conducted after the term expired in March 2025, and that the office-bearers should not have continued in office.
However, the association stated that another member, S.R. Sekar, had moved the extension resolution at the 2024 AGM. The extension was proposed to allow the current leadership to complete the ongoing construction of a convention centre, which is described as a dream project for the association. The proposal was signed by 311 members and passed unanimously.
The office-bearers claimed that Nambirajan, who joined the association in 2015, had not attended the 2024 AGM or any other AGM since becoming a member. They alleged he was acting as a proxy litigant for disgruntled elements trying to disrupt the convention centre's completion.
The court was also informed that the State government had exempted the Nadigar Sangam from conducting the elections, which were expected to cost approximately ₹40 lakh, allowing the current team to remain until March 2028. Sekar subsequently filed the application in the High Court to reject Nambirajan's suit.
