Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued stringent directives to the State Election Commission to ensure absolute fairness, transparency, and structural integrity during the upcoming Punjab Municipal Corporation and local body elections. Disposing of a cluster of petitions that expressed apprehension over potential administrative malpractice, the High Court ordered the mandatory installation of closed-circuit television cameras both inside and outside every single polling station and counting center across the state.
To prevent tampering and safeguard the democratic process, the division bench mandated that the recorded CCTV footage from all electoral phases must be securely preserved for a minimum period of one year. The High Court explicitly warned that under no circumstances should any portion of the recorded data be deleted, altered, or destroyed without formal statutory clearance. The court clarified that if a candidate or stakeholder files an official election petition challenging the declared results of any specific ward, the corresponding audio and video feeds must remain under judicial lock and key, and can only be accessed or disposed of with the explicit permission of the designated Election Tribunal.
The judicial mandate places a direct onus of accountability on regional executive authorities. Returning Officers have been strictly instructed to verify that all surveillance cameras remain in optimal, uninterrupted operational condition throughout the polling and counting cycles, backed by regular monitoring frameworks. The High Court appended a stern warning to this directive, noting that any instance of camera failure, structural blind spots, or administrative negligence regarding digital recording would invite immediate disciplinary and punitive action against the delinquent field officers in charge.
Addressing security anxieties ahead of the high-stakes civic contests, the bench established an expedited grievance mechanism for candidates. The court ruled that if any contesting candidate perceives a legitimate threat to their physical safety or campaign operations, they can directly submit a formal representation to the concerned district Senior Superintendent of Police, who is legally bound to review the security assessment and take immediate protective action. Furthermore, to prevent protracted legal battles from undermining local governance, the High Court ordered that all post-election disputes and judicial petitions must be resolved on a priority basis within six months, matching standing guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India.
