EC Rejects Rahul Gandhi’s Demand to Release Polling Booth Footage, Cites Voter Privacy Risks

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (EC) has turned down Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand to release the CCTV/webcasting footage of polling stations, saying it would violate the privacy and security of voters.

As per reports, the EC officials said that sharing such footage goes against the legal and constitutional protections given to voters under the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951. They added that it could make voters vulnerable to pressure, threats, or discrimination.

EC Defends Privacy of Voters

The EC clarified that although the request may seem reasonable in the name of transparency, it could actually lead to voter harassment and compromise the secrecy of the ballot. “This demand is being projected as pro-democracy, but in reality, it can have the opposite effect,” an EC official said.

Officials warned that political parties could misuse the footage by identifying who voted or who didn’t and later target those voters. For example, they said, if a party gets fewer votes in a booth, it may use footage to figure out who did not vote for them and harass or threaten them.

Footage is Only for Internal Use

The EC said that CCTV footage is meant only for internal monitoring of poll management and is not legally required to be made public. As per standard practice, the footage is stored for 45 days and the same period allowed for filing election petitions.

If a petition is filed within this time, the EC said, the footage is preserved and can be shared with the court when requested. Otherwise, it is discarded to avoid possible misuse or misrepresentation.

Response to Rahul Gandhi’s Claim of Rigging

This clarification comes after Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP-led alliance of rigging the 2024 Maharashtra elections and demanded that the EC release the polling booth footage. The EC, without naming him directly, said such demands are not in line with the law and could harm the democratic process instead of protecting it.

Officials stressed that protecting voter privacy and secrecy is non-negotiable and has always been upheld by the EC as well as the Supreme Court.