Fact Check: 'Click On BSP, Vote Goes To BJP': Does Video Belongs To Bihar Elections 2020?

As Bihar underwent the first phase of assembly elections for 71 seats on October 28, a video claiming EVMs to be rigged during the polls went viral.

The video shows a person pressing the button of BSP but the machine shows vote goes to BJP. It is being shared with the cation, "पहले ही चरण की वोटिंग में खेल शुरू हो गया है बीजेपी का वोट डालो हाथी पे जाता कमल पे।" (Translates in English as, "The game has already started in the first phase of voting. Vote for the elephant and it goes to BJP's lotus.")

The post has become viral on social media.

Facebook user Sunita Prajapati also shared the video which was shared for over 1,800.

Claim:

Electronic Voting Machine was rigged during Bihar elections, so when a person is voting for BSP it shows the vote is going to BJP.

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian took a screenshot through InVid tool and searched it on Google. We found a report published on Janta Ka Reporter on April 11, 2019. The link said that people in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh claimed that when they clicked on BSP's button it showed they have voted for BJP.

We did a keyword search based on the report and found many media websites covered the issue of the glitch in EVM in Bijnor over which even ruckus happened on April 11, 2019. The incident dates back to the Lok Sabha elections of 2019. However, the government denied any such claims at that time.

Moreover, The Logical Indian also found the same video published on May 17, 2019, with a caption that translates in English as, "What more evidence should there be of EVM manipulation? The button pressed by the elephant went to the lotus. Let the whole Punjab know. Tell us your thoughts about it."

The Logical Indian was not able to verify if the video was of Bijnor or not.

We also found that some media outlets, like Jansatta, reported about EVM issues but it was about the absence of button in front of RJD candidate's symbol in Munger.

Another error was reported in Lakhisarai about a technical glitch in EVM, according to India TV.

Apart from this, The Logical Indian was not able to find any media coverage of EVM being rigged in a way that if one vote for BSP the vote goes to BJP in recent Bihar elections.

On closely observing, We also found that the person has put two fingers, one on BSP button and other on BJP button. While the person shows his index finger to be on BSP symbol, he presses the BJP button through his thumb.

The Logical Indian also contacted the Additional Chief Electoral Officer in Bihar, Sanjay Kumar Singh, who denied any complaint of EVM rigging in Bihar Assembly elections 2020.

Thus, an old video of the 2019 Lok Sabha election went viral with the claim of it belonging to recent Phase 1 of ongoing Bihar Assembly Elections 2020.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

Also Read: Fact Check: Did Tejashwi Yadav Distribute Money During Bihar Election Campaign?