Fact Check: Old 'cash-for-vote' video from Huzurabad by-poll falsely linked to UP elections

In the video, we can see the symbol of a lotus, the party logo of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Look carefully, they have started distributing money in UP," reads the text accompanying the viral video.

NewsMeter received the viral video for verification on WhatsApp.

Fact Check

The claim is false.

NewsMeter ran a keyword search but did not find any reports about cash being distributed ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

We took a close look at the video and found that the envelope had an image of Etela Rajender, the former finance and health minister of Telangana.

Taking a cue from this, we performed another keyword search which led us to a report published by The News Minute on 28 October 2021. The report was titled "Telangana's Huzurabad bye-poll: Protesters demand money for votes from parties". According to the report, a group of people had gathered outside the Kamalapur mandal office in Huzurabad, Telangana, to protest because they were unhappy that several political parties had not given them money for votes in the Huzurabad by-poll.

It further said, "Alleging discrimination behind not giving them money, the agitated crowd said that they would not leave the venue unless everyone got the amount. In fact, visuals from the protest site show women crying, saying it was unfair that others were being given the 'money for votes.' One man alleged that the ruling TRS was distributing an amount between Rs. 8,000 and Rs. 6,000, while the BJP was giving Rs. 1,500 for one vote."

Apart from this, the report had also included a tweet by the All India Congress Committee in-charge for Telangana and Member of Parliament (MP) Manickam Tagore. He had shared two video, including the viral video, and tweeted, "How Democracy at sale in #Huzurabad ? @JPNadda sending crores which they earn from Corrupt Sangi Sarkar and @ECISVEEP just watches the money distribution. ECI must show some courage, they must countermand the election will they? #MoneyDistribution(sic)."

The tweet with the viral video read, "@BJP4Delhi distribution of money for votes. #CashForVote"

India Today on 28 October 2021 had also reported about the viral videos surfacing online. It had stated how several videos were being shared on social media which claimed that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had given cash to voters while campaigning during the Huzurabad Assembly by-poll in Telangana.

It is therefore evident that the claim made through the viral post is False. The viral video has nothing to do with the Uttar Pradesh elections. The viral video was shared during the Huzurabad by-poll.