Madras High Court dismisses M.K. Stalin’s plea to declare him elected from Kolathur constituency
The Madras High Court dismissed a writ petition by DMK leader M.K. Stalin seeking a 100% recount of VVPAT slips in the Kolathur constituency. The court ruled that election disputes must be handled through formal election petitions rather than writ petitions.
Why it matters
This decision reinforces established legal procedures for challenging election results in India, preventing potential judicial overreach and procedural chaos.
The Madras High Court on Thursday (September 3, 2026) dismissed, as not maintainable, a writ petition filed by DMK president M.K. Stalin to order the 100% counting of VVPAT slips of the Kolathur Assembly constituency, and to consequently declare him elected after nullifying the victory of TVK MLA V.S. Babu .
The First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan refused to entertain the writ petition after the Election Commission of India (ECI) argued that the victory of a candidate could be challenged only by way of an election petition and not through a writ petition.
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