New Delhi, June 22: India’s Election Commission (ECI) on Saturday defended its decision not to release CCTV footage from polling booths, citing concerns over voter privacy and security, amid mounting criticism from the opposition led by Rahul Gandhi.
The commission said that making such footage public could reveal who voted and who did not, potentially subjecting citizens to “harassment, discrimination, and intimidation” by political parties or other groups.
“Sharing of the footage… would leave both the elector who has voted and the elector who has not voted vulnerable,” a senior Election Commission official said, referring to growing demands for footage from the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election.
The ECI clarified that the footage is retained for 45 days after the declaration of results – the legally defined window to file an election petition – and will only be made available to a High Court if such a petition is filed.
“The videos shall be produced in original before the High Court… and shall not be opened or inspected by any person or authority except the court,” the commission said in a circular dated June 18.
Previously, the retention period for footage extended up to a year depending on the election phase. The new rule, officials said, aims to prevent misuse of the videos for “spreading misinformation and malicious narratives.”
The move has triggered a sharp response from the opposition. Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged that the EC’s actions amounted to hiding evidence of electoral malpractice.
“Voter list? Will not give machine-readable format. CCTV footage? Hidden by changing the law. Election photos and videos? Now they will be deleted in 45 days, not 1 year. The one who was supposed to provide answers is the one deleting the evidence,” Gandhi posted on X.
“It is clear that the match is fixed. And a fixed election is poison for democracy,” he added.
In December 2024, the Union Law Ministry amended Rule 93 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, restricting public access to certain electronic records, including CCTV footage, webcasting content, and videos of candidates during polls. The EC circular of June 18, 2025, formalised these limits for all elections notified after May 30, 2025.
Election Commission officials rejected the opposition’s claims, asserting that the demands, while appearing reasonable, conflict with fundamental voter rights.
“What is veiled as a very logical demand is actually contrary to the privacy and security concerns of the voters,” a third official said.
The EC also invoked Section 128 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which criminalises violations of ballot secrecy, adding that it is “legally bound” to protect the identity and choice of voters.
“Maintaining privacy and secrecy of the elector is non-negotiable… and the ECI has never in the past compromised on this essential tenet,” another senior official said.
India’s electoral integrity and transparency have come under increasing scrutiny, with opposition parties calling for greater access to electoral data and audit mechanisms, particularly after closely contested state polls. The Election Commission has maintained that its procedures conform to both domestic law and Supreme Court guidelines.
