Fact Check: Pre-poll outrage over ticket distribution linked to Naidu’s post-poll alliance with NDA
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading as the video shows dissent within the TDP over ticket distribution in March 2024.
By Md Mahfooz Alam Published on 6 Jun 2024 11:54 AM GMT
Claim: The video shows the public vandalising a portrait of TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for supporting PM Modi after the party’s victory in AP.
Fact: The claim is misleading. The video shows dissent within the TDP over ticket distribution in March 2024.
Hyderabad: A video showing people vandalising a portrait of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Chandrababu Naidu by hitting it with slippers and setting it on fire is circulating on social media. The accompanying claim suggests that the outrage is recent and directed against Naidu for supporting prime minister Narendra Modi and aligning with the BJP-led NDA.
The claim surfaced after the TDP’s stunning victory in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha and Assembly elections as part of the NDA alliance.
An X user shared the video and wrote, “People of Andhra Pradesh are angry with Naidu for supporting Modi and are protesting against him. (translated from Hindi)” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading as the video shows dissent within the TDP over ticket distribution in March 2024.
NewsMeter Telugu reported the incident on March 29. The report said that the supporters of former MLA V Prabhakar Chowdary stormed into the TDP office, damaged furniture and set fire to photos of party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu after the ticket of Anantapur Urban seat was allocated to Daggubati Venkateshwar Prasad.
Further, doing a reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led us to a report by The New Indian Express reported on March 30, 2024. The report said that TDP cadres damaged furniture and burned campaign materials at the party offices in Anantapur and Guntakal Assembly constituencies in protest of candidate selections.
The report said that the supporters of former MLA V Prabhakar Chowdary and Jitender Goud stormed the TDP offices in Anantapur and Guntakal, respectively. They vandalised furniture and set fire to photos of party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and general secretary Lokesh. They accused the party leadership of selling tickets for Rs 30 crores and complained about the lack of recognition for dedicated leaders in the TDP.
We also found the video published by Times of India Telugu edition Samayam Telugu on March 29, 2024, titled ‘Guntakal TDP leaders burned Chandrababu photo | Gummanur Jayaram.’
Therefore, based on our investigation, we can conclude that the video is from March 2024 and does not depict vandalism or outrage related to Naidu’s support for the Modi-led NDA, either before or after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
