MK Stalin moves Madras HC over Kolathur poll defeat, alleges VVPAT lapses

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin approached the Madras High Court on Monday challenging the election of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate VS Babu from the Kolathur constituency in the 2026 Assembly elections. HT ImageThe former CM alleged malfunctions in the voting machines and irregularities involving VVPAT machines, and sought directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to count 100% of VVPAT slips and verify all 286 EVMs deployed in the constituency. Stalin also sought a declaration that Babu’s election from Kolathur be declared void and that he be announced the winner instead. In the 2026 Assembly polls, Stalin, a three-time MLA from Kolathur, secured 74,202 votes (40.32% of the vote share), while Babu polled 82,997 (45.09%), with TVK winning by a margin of 8,795 votes. Stalin said in his plea that the ECI had issued administrative and technical SOPs for post-counting checking and verification of the burnt memory/microcontroller of EVM units, including ballot units, control units and VVPATs. He said that on May 7, he had applied for checking and verification of the burnt memory/microcontroller of 14 EVMs. However, the authorities conducted the verification only on July 29, nearly three months after his application, he said. The former CM said in the plea that two of the 14 EVMs stopped functioning immediately after officials took them up for checking, which, according to him, required a technical diagnosis. He also alleged lapses in the chain of custody for another EVM: the carrying cases for the ballot unit and control unit had blank address tags, and officials affixed the seals on the reverse side, among other alleged irregularities. Despite these lapses, the District Election Officer declared the verification process successful and compliant with the prescribed procedures, Stalin said. The plea is yet to come up for hearing before the high court. Ayesha Arvind is a Senior Assistant Editor, specialising in legal and judicial reportage. She tracks high courts and tribunals, bringing key legal developments and their broader impact to the forefront.Read More