Chennai, August 25 (TNA) DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has moved the Madras High Court seeking directions to the Election Commission of India to conduct 100% counting of VVPAT slips in the Kolathur Assembly constituency in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections. In his petition, Stalin has alleged irregularities in the functioning of EVMs and discrepancies in the verification process.
According to the plea, Stalin has challenged the victory of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam candidate V.S. Babu from Kolathur and sought that the result be declared void. He has also asked the court to examine all 286 machines used in the constituency and verify the VVPAT, control unit and ballot unit records linked to the poll exercise.
The petition further alleges a mismatch in the counts recorded in VVPAT slips, control units and ballot units, along with technical faults in the EVMs during checking that, according to Stalin, were not properly addressed by the authorities. He has also sought preservation of CCTV footage, custody registers, technical reports and other records related to the verification.
Stalin’s plea says the inspection of EVMs and VVPATs in several polling stations began only after a delay of nearly three months from the date of application, which he argues raises questions about the process. The case has drawn attention because Kolathur has long been considered a key political stronghold for Stalin.
The Madras High Court petition comes after the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election outcome, in which Stalin lost Kolathur to the TVK candidate. The matter is likely to be closely watched as it could have implications for post-poll scrutiny of EVM and VVPAT verification procedures.[indianexpress +3]