Fact Check: Viral video claiming Guntakal MLA candidate Madhusudan Gupta destroying EVM is not recent
Elections for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly were held on May 13, 2024. A fierce competition between the ruling YSRCP and Opposition TDP led to incidents of post-election violence. Incidents of stone pelting, arson and assaults were reported from ten districts. The constituencies of Macharla, Gurazala and Tadipatri were hard hit.
Claim :
Viral video shows Guntakal Janasena MLA candidate Madhusudan Gupta destroying an EVM in the polling boothFact :
The viral video is an old one from the 2019 elections, it is not related to the 2024 elections in Andhra Pradesh
Elections for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly were held on May 13, 2024. A fierce competition between the ruling YSRCP and Opposition TDP led to incidents of post-election violence. Incidents of stone pelting, arson and assaults were reported from ten districts. The constituencies of Macharla, Gurazala and Tadipatri were hard hit.
After this incident, another video showing another leader hailing from Guntakal, Madhusudan Gupta destroying an EVM is going viral with the claim that he was seen destroying EVM during the recent elections. The claim in Telugu goes “గుంతకల్లు జనసేన అభ్యర్థి మధుసూదన్ గుప్తా అంట.. దేనికి ఈవీఎం పగలగొట్టాడు! అదేంట్రా నిన్న మన జనసైనిక్స్, పచ్చ హమాస్ రిగ్గింగ్ జరిగితే.. ఈసీ కి పిర్యాదు చేయాలి గాని, ఈవీఎం పగలగొట్టడం ఏంట్రా అని తెగ నీతులు చెప్పారు? #JanasenaParty #TDP
When translated, it claims “Guntakal Janasena candidate Madhusudan Gupta.. why did he break the EVM! What is this? Yesterday, when there was brutal rigging, Jana Sainiks said that the concerned leader should have complained to the EC, instead of smashing the EVM? #JanasenaParty #TDP #
Fact Check:
The claim is Misleading. The video is an old one, the incident took place during the elections in 2019.
When we performed reverse image search, we found reports from the year 2019. According to wion.com, Lok Sabha candidate of Jana Sena Party Madhusudan Gupta broke an Electronic Voting Machine at a polling booth in Gooty town in Andhra Pradesh alleging that the names of assembly and Lok Sabha seats had not been properly displayed on the voting chamber. Gupta reached the polling station at the Girls High School in Gooty which falls under Guntakal Assembly constituency.
According to india.com, Gupta, who had come to cast his vote at the polling station in Gutti, was angry with the polling staff over names of Assembly and Parliament constituencies not being displayed properly. He lifted the EVM and smashed it on the floor. The machine was damaged in the incident. Gupta was immediately arrested, the police added.
