Chennai: Social activist Traffic Ramaswamy on Thursday filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking to declare Chief Minister Jayalalithaa affixing her left thumb impression on poll papers of AIADMK candidates as “illegal and ultra vires of the Constitution”.

He claimed that affixing the thumb impression was a violation of the election code. The petition is, however, yet to be taken up by the court.

AIADMK candidates in Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thirupparankundram Assembly segments had filed Forms A and B, featuring the left thumb impression of the hospitalised party general secretary, instead of her signature.

All three constituencies go to the polls on November 19.

The AIADMK had sought permission from the Election Commission to allow Jayalalithaa to put her thumb impression in view of her health condition and the poll body had given its nod.