NEW DELHI: Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Monday moved the Madras high court challenging the victory of TVK candidate VS Babu from Kolathur in the assembly elections.In his petition, Stalin alleged malfunctions in voting machines and irregularities involving VVPAT machines, and sought an order for a recount of votes in the Kolathur constituency.Stalin also sought a declaration that Babu’s election be declared void and that he himself be declared the winner.In the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, Babu defeated Stalin by a margin of 8,795 votes.Following the results, VS Babu attributed his victory to party chief Vijay and his local connection. Touching upon the anti-incumbency factor, Babu said that his win came against the backdrop of people’s desire for change in Tamil Nadu.“I have won only with our leader. Our leader’s face is the face of Tamil Nadu. People wanted a change, and they have changed this. I was born and brought up in that area. We know the pulse of people. It’s we who made him (MK Stalin) enter Kolathur,” Babu had told news agency ANI after his victory.
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“He doesn’t know anyone in Kolathur. Whether he is CM or MLA, he should mingle with the local people first. People are watching it,” he had added.Stalin was a three-time MLA from Kolathur but could not retain the seat for a fourth consecutive term. Despite the setback, Stalin thanked voters, noting that the DMK alliance secured over 1.54 crore votes, with a narrow 3.52 percent difference from the winning party.
