Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
All political parties and their candidates are engrossed in promotions and election campaigns ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. From door-to-door campaigns to virtual rallies, politicians are not leaving any stone unturned in their efforts to win the state elections. It is in this backdrop, social media users are claiming to have found the “Most honest Candidate” in 2022 UP Assembly Elections. A video of a man, identified as Gopal Chaudhary, is doing the rounds on social media platforms.
In the viral video, Chaudhary can be heard saying that he is contesting the polls with a “personal agenda” to earn money. He says that like everyone in politics, he will too earn money and serve himself. The ‘humble’ Chaudhary goes on to add that though he doesn’t have much “knowledge” about earning money, once he wins the officials will guide him in the matter.
Several social media users have shared the video of “Most Honest Candidate Gopal Chaudhary” which carries the watermark of the Quint.
The 2022 Uttar Pradesh election for 403 assembly seats will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The second phase of UP elections will be on February 14th, third phase on February 20th, fourth phase on February 23, 5th phase on February 27, 6th phase on March 3 and the last phase will be conducted on March 7. The results will be out on March 10.
Ahead of the elections, several social media users peddled false and misleading claims about political parties and its leaders. Newschecker has debunked several election-related misinformation over the past one month. You can read our fact checks here.
Fact Check/Verification
In the viral video, Chaudhary has been identified as an independent candidate from South Agra assembly seat, Newschecker conducted a keyword search for ‘Gopal Chaudhary South Agra Candidate’ to know more about this “ most honest candidate” in UP elections and found several reports from 2017 about him.
We came across a report by the Hindustan Times, dated January 27, 2017, titled ‘UP election: Independent candidate says he’s contesting polls for making money.’ According to the report, “An independent candidate in Uttar Pradesh has said that “making money” is his sole agenda for contesting the assembly polls in the state.” It added, “Gopal Chaudhary is contesting from Agra South where voting will be held in the first phase on February 11.”
Another report by Zee News stated Gopal Chaudhary, who is all set to contest the “upcoming assembly polls” as an independent candidate from the Agra South, says that his only purpose of joining politics is to make money and fool people. Notably, this report was also published on January 27, 2017.
We further looked up ‘Gopal Chaudhary’ and found that the viral video was posted on the official Twitter handle of ANI UP/Uttarakhand on January 27, 2017 with the caption,“ Independent candidate Agra South Gopal Chaudhary says ‘my only reason for coming into politics is money, I’ll fool people”
Since the viral video carried the Quint’s watermark, Newschecker conducted keyword search for ‘Quint Gopal Chaudhary’ on YouTube and found the video uploaded on the official channel of Quint on January 28, 2017 with the title, ‘Politics is to Make Money, Fool People, Says Independent Candidate.’
Newschecker continued the investigation and looked up the candidates contesting elections from South Agra assembly in the detailed result of State Election, 2017 to the Legislative Assembly Of Uttar Pradesh by the Election Commission of India. Though we didn’t find any Gopal Chaudhary in the list, however we came across one Chaudhary Gopal Singh Dhaked who contested the 2017 polls as an independent candidate.
We further conducted a keyword search for ‘Chaudhary Gopal Singh Dhaked’ on Google and came across a YouTube video uploaded by Patrika Agra on January 24, 2017 titled ‘Chaudhary gopal singh dhakad file nomination in up election 2017.’ The video featured the same man who is being identified as Gopal Chaudhary in the viral video.
Conclusion
The viral video claiming to show the “most honest candidate” in the upcoming UP assembly elections is actually from 2017. Gopal Chaudhary had contested the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh from the South Agra constituency as an independent candidate in 2017.
Result: False Context
Sources
YouTube Channels of Patrika Agra & The Quint
Twitter Account Of ANI UP/Uttarakhand
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
