The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to tighten the rules on who gets to see video footage from polling booths — and it’s already stirring up a political storm.
From now on, only the courts will be allowed to view any of that video — whether it’s CCTV, webcasting, or regular camera footage. The new rule kicks in for all elections notified after May 30, 2025.
This means no political party, no individual, and definitely no one from the media or public will get access to this footage unless a High Court asks for it as part of an election petition.
Why the Rule Changed
According to officials in the know, the main reason behind this move is voter privacy and security. The EC believes that if the footage is made public, people can figure out who voted when and maybe even for whom — which opens the door for threats, pressure, or discrimination.
“Such footage can help identify electors and expose them to pressure, discrimination, or even threats from anti-social elements,” said one official, who didn’t want to be named.
A circular was sent to all states and Union Territories on June 18, explaining the new rule in detail. It clearly says that the videos should only be opened if a High Court orders it — and not by anyone else.
Opposition Demands, Old Rules Tweaked
The change seems to come in response to increasing pressure from opposition parties, especially the Congress. They’ve been demanding access to CCTV footage — especially videos shot after 5 PM — from the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections.
But this isn’t the first time the EC has restricted access to such materials. Back in December 2023, the Centre amended Rule 93 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. That tweak already stopped the public from inspecting CCTV footage, webcast videos, or even clips showing candidates — again, to avoid misuse.
Now, the EC has simply doubled down.
Footage to Be Deleted If No Case in 45 Days
Another big part of this update? If no one challenges the election result in court within 45 days, the footage will be destroyed.
This instruction came from a separate EC circular dated May 30, and it was mentioned again in the latest one.
“Keeping the footage beyond 45 days makes it vulnerable to misuse and misinformation,” said another EC official.
But if someone files an election petition within those 45 days, the footage won’t be deleted — and it’ll be shared with the court.
EC Compares It to Sensitive Voter Data
Officials also say giving out this footage would be similar to handing out Form 17A, which shows the order in which people voted and their serial numbers on the roll. That kind of info is super sensitive.
“Violation of secrecy of voting is a punishable offence under section 128 of RPA, 1951… ECI is legally bound and committed to protect the privacy of the electors and secrecy of voting,” one official said.
EC Says Voter Privacy Is Non-Negotiable
According to a second EC official, privacy isn’t up for debate — even if political parties try to pressure them.
“For the ECI, safeguarding the interests of its electors and maintaining their privacy and secrecy is of prime concern… Maintaining privacy and secrecy of the elector is non-negotiable,” the official said.
They added that the EC has never compromised on this rule before, and the Supreme Court has also backed it.
Rahul Gandhi Slams EC, Calls It ‘Evidence Deletion’
But this explanation didn’t sit well with Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leader took to X (formerly Twitter) and accused the EC of covering up facts instead of coming clean.
He posted:
“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.”
He followed it up in Hindi, saying:
“It is clear that the match is fixed. And a fixed election is poison for democracy.”
Rahul Gandhi has been pushing the EC to release voter lists, data, and polling footage — especially regarding the Maharashtra polls — saying there were serious irregularities.
EC Responds
While the EC didn’t directly respond to Gandhi’s post, another official hinted that the opposition was twisting things.
“[Opposition’s remarks] suit their narrative… but it is in fact aimed at achieving exactly the opposite objective,” the official said.
According to them, the opposition’s demands may sound like they’re meant to protect democracy, but they could actually put voters at risk.
Gujarat Video Leak Sparks Fresh Controversy
Adding fuel to the fire, a video popped up on social media earlier this week from the Visavadar bypoll in Gujarat (held on June 19). It showed two people standing near the EVM during polling — something that definitely shouldn’t be happening.
The EC has launched a probe to find out how that video got leaked.
Privacy vs. Transparency
At the heart of it, this whole debate is about one thing: where do you draw the line between transparency and privacy?
The EC says its job is to keep voters safe and protect their secrets at the ballot. But the opposition believes the EC is hiding the truth and ducking accountability.
Whichever way this goes, the final word might come from the courts — because this battle doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon.
