MK Stalin moves HC against TVK MLA VS Babu's Kolathur win, seeks recount

Former DMK president and Tamil Nadu's former chief minister, MK Stalin, has filed a petition in the Madras High Court challenging the victory of TVK candidate VS Babu from Kolathur. Stalin's claim hinges on alleged malfunctioning of voting machines and irregularities involving VVPAT machines. He seeks a recount of votes and insists on declaring Babu's election void and himself as the winner.

In the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, VS Babu emerged victorious by a margin of 8,795 votes over Stalin. Babu attributed his triumph to his party chief Vijay and his local connections, emphasizing that his win was a result of people's desire for change in Tamil Nadu. Babu's victory came against the backdrop of a strong anti-incumbency sentiment.

VS Babu highlighted his connection with the local area, stating that he was born and raised in Kolathur, and that he understood the pulse of the people better than MK Stalin. Babu criticized Stalin for not mingling with local people, regardless of his position as CM or MLA. He urged Babu to mingle with the local people before assuming office.

Stalin, who served as a three-time MLA from Kolathur, lost the seat in the recent elections. Despite this setback, he acknowledged the DMK alliance's achievement of over 1.54 crore votes, which was only 3.52 percent shy of the winning party.