The Election Commission (EC) refused to share CCTV footage from polling stations after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi asked for it, citing privacy and legal reasons, according to sources. Gandhi has repeatedly claimed that last year’s Maharashtra election, which the BJP-led alliance won, was rigged.
The EC explained that sharing such footage would make it easy to identify voters, which could expose both people who voted and those who didn’t to pressure, discrimination, or intimidation by bad actors.
They also said releasing these videos would break laws under the Representation of the People Act and go against Supreme Court orders. The EC clarified that these recordings are only for internal use and would only be shown in court cases related to elections.
Last month, the EC instructed state officials to destroy webcasting and video recordings 45 days after an election, unless the results are legally challenged.
Earlier this month, Gandhi also asked the EC to release digital voter lists for the 2024 elections across states, including Maharashtra, and to publish all CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths recorded after 5 pm on election day.
The Election Commission emphasized that voting is a right, but so is the choice not to vote, and sharing footage could expose who didn’t vote, which is a private decision. The Supreme Court has ruled that choosing not to vote must be kept as confidential as the vote itself. The video footage is treated like official election records that require strong protection, and sharing such information without proper legal approval is against the law and can result in fines or jail under the Representation of the People Act.
