Election result challenged
DMK president M K Stalin has filed an election petition in the Madras High Court challenging the victory of TVK legislator V S Babu in Kolathur. He has asked the court to order 100% counting of VVPAT slips and verification of all 286 electronic voting machines used in the constituency.
What the petition alleges
The petition raises concerns about technical failures during checking of selected VVPAT and ballot units, mismatches in identification tags and gaps in the documentation of the verification process. It also questions the handling of machines and printed slips from some polling stations.
These are allegations made in an election petition. They have not yet been tested or accepted by the court, and the declared result remains in force unless altered through the legal process.
What happens next
The case will move through the election-petition procedure, where election officials and the returned candidate can respond to the allegations and the court can decide what further verification, if any, is required.