Former Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has approached the Madras High Court demanding a 100% VVPAT count and a full audit of all 286 EVMs used in Kolathur. He cites machine malfunctions, missing technical reports and a delayed verification process as grounds to nullify his rival’s win.

  • Only 14 of 286 EVMs were inspected, all at Stalin’s request
  • Five polling stations showed VVPAT failures, potentially affecting 8,795 votes
  • Stalin seeks preservation of CCTV, custody registers and a complete VVPAT recount

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin filed a writ petition before the Madras High Court, demanding a 100% verification of VVPAT slips and a technical audit of every electronic voting machine deployed in the Kolathur constituency.

Core Demands of the Petition

The petition urges the court to preserve CCTV footage, custody registers, technical reports and all related records, to quash the certification dated August 5 that declared TVK candidate V S Babu the winner, and to order a full recount of VVPAT slips across all 286 polling stations.

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Documented Technical Glitches

According to the affidavit, polling station 28’s VVPAT stopped after 12 votes with an “Error 2.7” message, while station 75 experienced a similar failure. At station 157, ballot‑unit and control‑unit carrying cases were found with blank address tags, and at station 79 the serial numbers on ballot units did not match the address tags. The most serious incident occurred at station 208, where a ballot unit bearing Stalin’s name was not detected by the control unit, yet the District Election Officer certified the verification as successful on the same day.

Statistical Context

Stalin’s affidavit points out that at the five stations where defects were recorded, he secured **29.87%** of the vote, compared with **40.74%** across the remaining 281 booths. His rival Babu’s share moved in the opposite direction – **55.97%** at the problematic booths versus **45.08%** elsewhere. This disparity suggests that without a complete audit, the true impact of the irregularities cannot be measured.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that this legal challenge strikes at the heart of electoral integrity in India, especially when a sitting chief minister faces a defeat that could reshape state politics.

"Any doubt about the reliability of electronic voting machines inevitably erodes public confidence in the democratic process," notes election analyst Dr. Anita Rao.
Did You Know?: Kolathur has been a DMK stronghold since 2011, making Stalin’s 2026 loss a symbolic blow to the party’s long‑standing dominance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can the Madras High Court overturn the election result?

A: The court will assess the technical evidence and procedural compliance before deciding on any remedial action.

Q2: Would a 100% VVPAT count likely change the outcome?

A: Given the anomalies in five polling stations, a full recount could potentially alter the final vote margin.