Chennai, Mar 17 The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions challenging certain conditions in e-tender dated March 3, 2026, for undertaking live webcasting in polling stations and recording during counting of votes for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election.
The petitions were filed by two private surveillance service companies based in New Delhi and Chennai, respectively, challenging the tender conditions imposed by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer for installing approximately 1,50,000 web-based cameras across 75,000 polling stations and 3,744 cameras in counting centres.
“In the case at hand, the primordial challenge is to the aforesaid tender conditions on the ground that they are arbitrary, discriminatory, and unreasonable,” the first Bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan said.
Considering the averments in the light of the submissions advanced by senior counsel for the petitioner, the court found "no shred of material to prove arbitrariness, perversity, mala fide or bias that would warrant judicial interference,” the Bench noted.
Moreover, the court was conscious of the ruling of the Apex Court to the effect that the tender floating authority is empowered to stipulate certain preconditions or qualifications to ensure that the contractor has the capacity and the resources to successfully execute the work.
“This court is of the view that the conditions of the tender cannot be altered/modified to make it suitable to the petitioner, as the best person to frame the terms and conditions of the tender is the tender making authority, who has the necessary technical and administrative expertise,” the Bench said, dismissing the petitions.
Consequently, interim applications stand closed.
