An old photo showing tape on an EVM button has resurfaced with a false claim that it captures election fraud in the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections.
BOOM found that the image has been online since 2024. Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared the picture alleging the incident took place at a booth in Budge Budge Assembly during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The photo surfaced amid BJP allegations that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were tampered with by the Trinamool during Phase 2 elections. Malviya shared several videos claiming such incidents occurred at multiple booths in Falta, South 24 Parganas district, and demanded an immediate repoll. In the videos, a person is seen entering booths and showing EVMs allegedly taped.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) responded to the allegation, stating that if reports of any button being taped are confirmed after verification, those booths will undergo a repoll.
The Claim
A verified user on X shared the picture with a caption, "What is going on in Bengal??? Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) entire staff managing the elections needs to be sent to jail".
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
What We Found: Viral Photo Not From 2026 Bengal Elections
1. BJP IT Cell Chief Shared The Photo in 2024: We ran a reverse image search using Google Lens and found a June 2, 2024, post by the BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya. Malviya shared the image alleging that a BJP button on an EVM was taped at a booth in Budge Budge Assembly during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of WB CM Mamata Banerjee, contested from Diamond Harbour constituency.
Sharing the photo, he claimed BJP supporters who reached booths despite alleged TMC violence and hostile WB Police were told they could not vote for BJP. Malviya also tagged the ECI in the post, asking the poll body to investigate and ensure free and fair elections in West Bengal.
2. Controversy Around Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha Elections: In 2024, TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee won the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat by a record margin of 7.1 lakh votes, defeating BJP candidate Abhijit Das. After the loss, the BJP issued a show-cause notice to Das and temporarily expelled him for not adhering to party discipline and decorum.
Das later filed an election petition challenging Banerjee’s victory, alleging widespread electoral fraud and questioning both the process and the outcome.