--- title: "Stalin seeks full VVPAT count to annul Kolathur win" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/stalin-seeks-full-vvpat-count-kolathur-nwd04 publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Politics published: 2026-08-30T11:28:12.990Z modified: 2026-08-30T14:00:02.956Z language: en-IN --- # Stalin seeks full VVPAT count to annul Kolathur win M.K. Stalin filed a writ petition in Madras High Court requesting 100% counting of VVPAT slips from Kolathur, to declare him winner and nullify V.S. Babu’s victory. The move hinges on a 2024 Supreme Court ruling and motors a contested verification process that experienced delays and irregularities. ## Key takeaways - Stalin seeks a court-ordered full VVPAT verification in Kolathur to potentially overturn the election result. - The case relies on a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that allowed limited post-election verification by engineers, extended here to a broader 100% count for Kolathur. - The verification process began on July 29 after results were declared on May 4, with delays and reported irregularities cited by Stalin. ## What Happened DMK president M.K. Stalin submitted a writ petition to the Madras High Court requesting complete verification of VVPAT slips from the Kolathur Assembly constituency. He seeks the declaration of himself as the returned candidate and the nullification of the election of TVK MLA V.S. Babu, based on 100% counting of the VVPATs. Stalin argues the process of EVM/VVPAT checking and verification post-election is being delayed and mishandled, contravening directions from a Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that allowed verification by engineers from the EVM manufacturers of 5% of the 286 EVM sets used in Kolathur (14 sets) upon request by a runner-up or third-place candidate. In the 2026 Assembly polls, Stalin finished second with 74,202 votes, while Babu secured 82,997 votes. Stalin’s application to verify 14 of the 286 EVM sets was filed on May 7, three days after results were declared on May 4. The verification process began on July 29, but Stalin argued that nearly three months of delay harmed his legal rights. He also noted issues during verification, including a VVPAT unit displaying an error on July 30 and another unit failing to detect its control unit during verification on July 31. Stalin’s representative claimed no explanatory report from a Bharat Electronics Limited engineer or other competent authority was provided regarding the unit failures, and notified officials were said to have offered only the option to pick a different EVM from another polling station. Further, Stalin pointed to irregularities such as an EVM carrying case address tags that appeared new and unfilled, with seals affixed on the reverse side rather than the front, contrary to usual practice. On August 4, his team requested verification from six additional polling stations, a move followed by an August 5 development described as an “alarming irregularity” when a ballot unit bearing his name could not detect its corresponding control unit. Despite these concerns, the District Election Officer announced the verification process had been concluded on August 5. Stalin has also filed a separate writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of specific portions of the ECI SOP governing the verification of burnt memory/microcontroller in 5% of EVMs. Both petitions were published in late August 2026, with the High Court’s handling awaiting further action and potential submissions from the Election Commission and other parties. ## Why It Matters The case centers on whether a post-election verification process can overturn a results outcome in Kolathur, potentially altering the winner based on technical verification of electronic voting machines. The Supreme Court ruling cited by Stalin opened a path for post-election checks by engineers, but the exact legality and admissibility of a writ petition against post-result SOPs remain contested. If the court approves full VVPAT counting, it could set a precedent for similar petitions in Tamil Nadu and other states, affecting how close elections might be contested in the future and the perceived integrity of the EVM/VVPAT verification process. ## Background The Kolathur constituency election outcome was decided in the 2026 Assembly polls with Babu defeating Stalin by margins of votes. Stalin launched a legal challenge after the results were declared, seeking full VVPAT verification and a declaration of his victory based on those results. The challenge cites a 2024 Supreme Court decision allowing scrutiny of burnt memory/microcontroller components in a subset of EVMs upon request by a runner-up or third-place candidate, but applies it to a broader 100% verification demand in this case. ## Key Facts - Party and individuals: DMK president M.K. Stalin; TVK MLA V.S. Babu; 2026 Kolathur election. - Votes: Stalin 74,202; Babu 82,997 in Kolathur (2026 assembly polls). - Petition: Writ petition filed in Madras High Court seeking 100% counting of VVPAT slips from Kolathur. - Requested verification: 14 out of 286 EVM sets (5%), per Supreme Court guidance cited by Stalin. - Filing and results timeline: Results declared May 4; petition filed May 7; verification began July 29; August 5 deemed concluded by District Election Officer. - Verification issues alleged: One VVPAT unit displayed an error (July 30); another failed to detect its control unit (July 31); address tags on some cases appeared new/unfilled; seals on reverse instead of front in at least one unit. - Legal moves: Stalin appointed senior counsel N.R. Elango; another writ petition challenges SOP provisions (Administrative 4(a), 4(c); Technical 4.2(p)). ## What Happens Next The Madras High Court has not yet issued a final ruling on the writ petitions. The docket includes a challenge to specific SOP provisions governing EVM verification, in addition to the primary request for 100% VVPAT counting. Future steps would depend on court directions, potential submissions from the Election Commission, and any further orders related to the 5% verification framework or higher-level validation of VVPATs in Kolathur. --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/stalin-seeks-full-vvpat-count-kolathur-nwd04 Reported from: Multiple Sources