Rahul Gandhi Slams Election Commission Over Video Footage Policy, Alleges “Match-Fixing” in Polls
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has strongly criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of enabling a lack of transparency in the electoral process.
Reacting to recent changes in the handling of election-related video footage, Gandhi described the developments as evidence of “match-fixing,” claiming the very institutions responsible for conducting fair elections are now hiding critical evidence.
In a post on the social media platform X, the Congress MP from Rae Bareli alleged deliberate attempts to obstruct transparency in the electoral process. “Voter-list?
They won’t give in machine-readable format. CCTV footage? They changed the rules to hide them. Photos and videos of polling? Not a year, these will be destroyed in 45 days,” Gandhi wrote.
He further added, “Those who were supposed to answer are themselves wiping evidence. It is clear the match is fixed, and a fixed election is poisonous for democracy.”
EC Changes Video Storage Policy
The controversy stems from a directive issued by the Election Commission on May 30, 2025. In this instruction, the ECI informed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across all states that CCTV recordings, webcast material, and other video footage related to polling should be discarded within 45 days of the election unless a legal challenge was filed regarding the conduct of the election.
This marked a sharp departure from earlier protocols.
The EC defended its decision by citing the misuse of such footage. According to the letter, video material was increasingly being exploited by non-contesting parties to spread misinformation and construct misleading narratives on social media.
The ECI noted that this misuse did not yield any productive legal outcome but did generate unwarranted public confusion and mistrust, prompting the policy shift.
Notably, on September 6, 2024, the poll panel had previously advised state election authorities to retain such footage for a period ranging between three months and a full year, reflecting a longer retention policy intended to support accountability.
However, in December 2024, the Modi government introduced amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, restricting public access to certain categories of election-related documentation.
The amendment, which effectively shields key materials from public scrutiny, has since been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Rahul Gandhi’s Ongoing Critique of EC and Voter List Expansion
Rahul Gandhi has consistently raised questions over what he perceives as a breakdown in institutional integrity within the Election Commission.
His criticism has intensified following the results of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, where the Congress party suffered a significant defeat. Gandhi described the contest as a “fixed match,” claiming the process was marred by what he termed “industrial-scale rigging.”
In an opinion editorial published earlier this month, Gandhi expanded on these concerns, writing: “The fixing side might win a game, but irreparable damage is done to institutions and people’s faith in the result.
I am not talking of small-scale cheating, but of industrial-scale rigging involving the capture of our national institutions.”
One of his most specific allegations centers around the dramatic increase in registered voters in Maharashtra. Gandhi has publicly demanded that the Election Commission provide access to electoral rolls for Maharashtra before both the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.
He presented a timeline of voter count fluctuations to support his claims:
- In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the number of registered voters stood at 8.98 crore.
- By the time of the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections, this number had increased to 9.29 crore.
- However, within just five months — by the November 2024 Vidhan Sabha polls — the voter list surged further to 9.70 crore.
“This represents a slow increase of 31 lakh over five years, followed by a sudden spike of 41 lakh in just five months,” Gandhi wrote. “So incredible was this leap that the number of registered voters, at 9.70 crore, actually surpassed the total number of adults in Maharashtra — 9.54 crore — based on the government’s population estimates.”
EC Responds to Allegations
In response to Gandhi’s claims, the Election Commission issued a strong rebuttal. It dismissed his statements as “absolutely absurd” and labeled the accusations as “an affront to the rule of law.” The EC maintained that all electoral procedures were followed by the law and upheld the integrity of the democratic process.
Broader Implications
Rahul Gandhi’s persistent questioning of the Election Commission’s conduct, particularly about voter data, electoral transparency, and institutional independence, has resonated with opposition voices concerned about democratic backsliding.
However, the EC’s position remains firm, defending its decisions as necessary steps to preserve the integrity of elections and prevent the misuse of information.
The issue has now extended to the judicial sphere, with the recent amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules facing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court.
As the debate continues, the larger question looming over Indian democracy remains: can public confidence in electoral institutions be restored amid growing political polarization?
