Authors
A post-graduate in Mass Communication, Ram has an experience of 8 years in the field of Media. He has worked for radio, television, e-commerce. Appalled by the spread of fake news and disinformation, he found it both challenging and satisfying to bring out the truth and nullify the effects of fake news in society.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim: K Annamalai got only one vote in a Coimbatore booth.
Fact: The viral image has been edited. He got 101 votes.
With the Lok Sabha election results coming as a surprise to everyone, belying exit polls and political analysts alike, a newscard, purportedly showing TN BJP Chief K Annamalai receiving only 1 vote in a particular voting booth in Coimbatore, has gone viral on social media.
Sharing the image on social media, several users mocked Annamalai for failing to get the confidence of the people of Coimbatore.
X Handle @SurrbhiM was among the many who shared the image, writing, “Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai got 1 vote in a booth. Media also told that he is the future BJP’s PM candidate”. (Archived Link)
Many other users also shared the same image on social media, as can be seen here, here.
Fact Check/ Verification
A reverse image search of the viral letter showed that it was shared by Praveen Raj, social media in charge of Tamil Nadu’s BJP youth wing, calling it out as edited.
Upon further probe, we found that the same image was shared by Sun News on X, stating that the DMK candidate Ganapathi Rajkumar was leading after the initial round of vote counting for the Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency.
In the notice shared by Sun News, it can be seen that 101 votes were recorded for Annamalai in booth ‘BCUAF 07464’.
A comparison of the viral image with the image shared by Sun News reveals that all the elements of the two images are same.
Conclusion
Thus it is clear that the image showing only one vote for K Annamalai in a Coimbatore voting booth, is edited.
Result: Altered Photo
Source
X Post from Pravin Raj , Social Media Incharge, BJP Youth Wing, Dated June 04, 2024.
X Post from Sun News , Dated June 04, 2024
Authors
A post-graduate in Mass Communication, Ram has an experience of 8 years in the field of Media. He has worked for radio, television, e-commerce. Appalled by the spread of fake news and disinformation, he found it both challenging and satisfying to bring out the truth and nullify the effects of fake news in society.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
