Old Video Passed off as ‘EVM Fraud’ by BJP During 2024 Lok Sabha Elections

We found that neither is this video recent nor is it related to the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

Fact-Check | The video is old and is being shared with a misleading context.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A video showing a man removing slips from a voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) is going viral on social media platforms with users linking it to the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

What do viral posts say?: People shared the video with a caption that said, "BJP knows their defeat is 100% sure. Therefore, doing unethical, unconstitutional works to manipulate the EVMs. Supreme Court must direct ECI to look into matters immediately."

An archive of the post can be viewed here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

We received a query about the viral video on our WhatsApp tipline as well. More archives of similar claims can be viewed here, here, and here.

What is the truth?: The viral video could be traced back to at least December 2022 and is unrelated to the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections.

What led us to the truth?: Using the help of Google Lens search, we performed a reverse image search on the different keyframes of the video.

• This directed us to the same clip published by an X user named 'Shenaz'.

• It was shared on 13 December 2022 and its caption said, "Landslide Victory In Gujarat. Scene From One Of The Strong Rooms In That State. Bhavnagar Constituency."

• In the comments section, we found a reply from the Collector and District Magistrate of Gujarat's Bhavnagar.

• The magistrate said that the VVPAT slips were removed and were put in a black envelope as per the instructions given by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

• This was done to ensure that the VVPATs can be used for further elections and the entire process is recorded.

Instructions on ECI website: Team WebQoof found a document on the official ECI website which defined the steps to be followed to remove the VVPAT slips after the completion of voting.

• It, too, mentioned that VVPAT paper slips are to be removed from VVPAT and should be kept in a paper envelope made of thick black paper. It would then be sealed using red wax.

• These instructions corroborated the explanation given by the district magistrate of Bhavnagar.

Instructions to be followed after completion of voting.

(Source: ECI/Screenshot)

Conclusion: While we could not independently verify the location or date of the video, the video is old and is being falsely linked to the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)