Madras High Court dismisses M.K. Stalin’s plea to declare him elected from Kolathur constituency - The Hindu

**Madras High Court rejects M.K. Stalin’s bid to be declared elected from Kolathur**

The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin seeking a declaration that he was the duly elected member from the Kolathur assembly constituency. The petition, which also asked the court to order a full verification of Voter‑Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips, stemmed from the February 2023 by‑election triggered by the death of former DMK MLA V. Anand. The election was won by T.V. Kandasamy (commonly referred to as “TVK”) of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a rare setback for the DMK in its traditional stronghold in north‑Chennai. Stalin’s filing argued that irregularities in the electronic voting process warranted a recount and that, absent a thorough audit, the result could not be trusted.

Writing for a two‑judge bench, Justice P. Raghavan and Justice S. Balaji held that the petition “fails to disclose any specific material irregularity that would justify the extraordinary relief of a full VVPAT count or a declaration of election in favour of the petitioner.” The court noted that the Election Commission of India had already conducted a partial VVPAT verification in accordance with statutory guidelines and found no substantive discrepancy. Consequently, the judges affirmed the Election Commission’s declaration that TVK was duly elected, and they declined to interfere with the electoral outcome.

Both parties responded swiftly. The DMK described the ruling as “disappointing but final,” indicating that it would explore further legal avenues if new evidence emerges. The AIADMK hailed the judgment as a vindication of a free and fair poll, while political analysts cautioned that the episode underscores the heightened scrutiny of election processes ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections. With the court’s order, the Kolathur seat now remains with the AIADMK, and the Election Commission’s result stands unchallenged.