The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s petition challenging the 2026 Assembly election victory of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate VS Babu in Kolathur. The bench of Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan held that Stalin’s plea was not maintainable. The case had drawn attention because Stalin sought verification of all 286 EVMs and 100% counting of VVPAT slips in the constituency where the Vijay-led TVK candidate won.
Vijay-led TVK victory remains intact after court rejects Stalin’s plea
According to reports, Stalin had approached the court seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) for complete VVPAT counting and checking of all 286 machines used in the constituency. The court had indicated on Monday that it would examine whether the plea could be maintained.
Stalin said he had applied shortly after the May 7 election results, along with the required fee, to check the burnt memory and microcontroller of 14 EVMs for possible tampering or modification. He claimed the verification took place only on July 29, after a 45-day delay, and that two of the 14 machines stopped functioning when they were taken up for verification.
Vijay and TVK election win challenged over EVM and VVPAT concerns
Reportedly, Stalin argued that the malfunction required technical diagnosis. He also raised concerns about another EVM, alleging that its chain of custody had not been properly maintained. According to him, address tags on the carrying cases of the Ballot Units and Control Units were blank, while seals had been placed on the reverse side.
Despite these issues, Stalin said the District Election Officer declared the checking and verification process successful and compliant with prescribed procedures. The Vijay-led TVK victory was also challenged through Stalin’s broader demand for complete VVPAT verification.
Vijay-led TVK case turns on election petition question
Reports say that during the hearing, the bench questioned why Stalin had not filed an election petition. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Stalin, said the ECI conducted the EVM verification only after 45 days from the declaration of results, leaving Stalin unable to file an election petition within the required period. He argued that a petitioner could not be left without a remedy simply because the time limit had expired.
Sibal also explained the voting process, saying pressing the ballot sends a signal to the Control Unit, which then sends a signal to the VVPAT. He argued that in this case the VVPAT was placed in between and a signal was sent to the software, which could be easily manipulated.
Vijay-led TVK win defended as ECI opposes Stalin’s plea
Reportedly, Senior Advocate Dama Sheshadri Naidu, appearing for the ECI, opposed Stalin’s petition. He argued that the remedy sought could only be pursued through an election petition and accused Stalin of attempting to obtain it through “clever drafting”.
Naidu said that if Stalin had doubts about the EVMs, he should have raised them at the beginning. Having allegedly “slept over his rights”, he argued, Stalin could not challenge the process at this stage.
Naidu also cited the Supreme Court’s ruling against a 100% recount, warning that allowing Stalin’s request could open a “Pandora’s box” by encouraging similar petitions. The court’s dismissal leaves the Vijay-led TVK candidate VS Babu’s Kolathur victory unaffected.
Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
