Mumbai: According to information provided by the Election Commission of India, photos and videos of elections will now only be preserved for 45 days. The Commission has taken a major decision to delete all videos and photos related to elections after 45 days.
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar has strongly opposed this decision. He stated that this move is against democracy, transparency, and the public’s trust.
Prakash Ambedkar said that it is extremely concerning that the Election Commission, which is responsible for conducting free and fair elections, is taking steps that go against transparency. In December 2024, the Election Commission amended the Election Rules, 1961, which restricted public access to several election-related records.
In this context, Adv. Ambedkar had written a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders on 16th January 2025, raising concerns about the increase in votes after 5 PM in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, totalling 7,597,067 votes, and the amended rules. However, he expressed regret that none of them took his observations seriously. Adv. Ambedkar noted that all those doubts are now surfacing again.
Meanwhile, an important hearing in the ongoing case of Chetan Chandrakant Ahire vs Union of India and Others concerning the increase in voting after 5 PM in the Assembly elections will take place on Monday, 23rd June 2025, at the Bombay High Court. Earlier, the High Court had directed the Election Commission to respond in this matter.
