Telangana readies 11,000-camera surveillance grid for municipal polls on February 11

As Telangana gears up for municipal elections on February 11, a large-scale surveillance operation is unfolding across the State to ensure orderly, transparent and incident-free polling.

Hyderabad-based Brihaspathi Technologies Limited, in coordination with the Telangana State Election Commission, is deploying more than 11,000 smart camera units in all polling stations in 30 districts.

Ground-level preparations began on February 1, where equipment has been mapped booth by booth. A command and control centre is being set up in Hyderabad where live feed from polling stations will be monitored.

“Surveillance today is about real-time visibility,” said Rajasekhar Papolu, Chairman and Managing Director of Brihaspathi Technologies Limited. “Webcasting allows election officials to monitor polling arrangements, crowd movement and overall conduct inside booths with a single click respond swiftly if required.” The company earlier managed surveillance for the 2025 Telangana Gram Panchayat elections.

“Telangana is mostly peaceful, and there are no special analytics required for this election,” Mr. Papolu said.

The scale of the current operation in Telangana is substantial, with 11,000 personnel involved in installing and managing the camera units. Deployment follows a hierarchical structure, with mandal-level coordinators overseeing clusters of 20 to 30 polling stations, reporting to Assembly-level and district-level coordinators, all monitored at the State level. A dry run will be conducted on February 9 to check camera functionality and address any installation, connectivity or power issues.

Addressing concerns around voter privacy and data security, Mr. Papolu said installations adhere to Election Commission guidelines. Cameras are positioned to observe general activity inside polling stations and are not permitted to face Electronic Voting Machines. “We operate under non-disclosure agreements with election authorities. All recorded data is handed over entirely to the concerned department within a month of the election. We do not retain copies of the footage, nor is the data shared or circulated,” he said.

With webcasting now mandatory at all polling stations, incidents have reduced significantly, Mr. Papolu said. For election officials, live visuals provide immediate clarity and evidence-based decision-making. For the public, the presence of cameras acts as a deterrent against malpractice, encouraging more responsible conduct on polling day.