Madras High Court Dismisses Stalin's Petition Challenging Kolathur Defeat

The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin challenging his defeat in the Kolathur Assembly constituency, ruling that the plea was not maintainable. The dismissal marks a significant legal setback for Stalin, who had sought to overturn the result of the May 4, 2026 election, where he lost the seat he had held since 2011. Stalin was defeated in Kolathur by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam candidate V.S. Babu, who secured 82,997 votes to Stalin's 74,202, winning by a margin of 8,795 votes. The result was a major upset in a constituency Stalin had won in three consecutive elections, including a victory by approximately 70,000 votes in 2021. Following the election, Stalin applied on May 7 for the verification of the burnt memory of 14 Electronic Voting Machines, representing 5% of the 286 sets used in the constituency. This request was made within the seven-day period outlined by the Supreme Court's framework for such verification. However, the verification process did not commence until July 29 and was completed on August 5. Stalin's legal challenge centered on this timeline.