CHANDIGARH, Dec 15— Congress leader and MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions to make videography compulsory during vote counting for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Block Samiti elections across Punjab.
The petition, filed as a public interest litigation, is scheduled for hearing on Tuesday.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Nikhil Ghai said the plea focuses on strengthening transparency at the counting stage, which he described as a critical phase of the electoral process.
“Counting of votes is an integral and decisive stage and continues till the declaration of results,” Ghai submitted. “Yet, in Zila Parishad elections, it is being carried out without mandatory videography.”
According to the petition, the lack of video recording deprives the process of an independent and verifiable record, making it vulnerable to allegations of manipulation and weakening public trust in the outcome.
The plea states that free and fair elections form part of the Constitution’s basic structure and that opacity during counting infringes upon constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 21 and 243K.
Warring argued that videography is a minimal and reasonable safeguard that does not interfere with the election process or compromise the secrecy of the ballot.
“It enhances accountability, deters malpractice and reduces post-election disputes,” the petition said.
The petitioner has not sought to challenge any election result but has requested institutional measures, including uniform guidelines on videography, storage and access to recordings, along with directions to preserve the footage for future legal or statutory examination.
The matter will be heard by the high court on Tuesday.
