Edited video shared to claim BSP leader Mayawati is asking people to 'vote for BJP'

By: Umme Kulsum
May 7 2024

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Screenshot of post showing Mayawati supporting BJP. (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

What’s the claim?

A 15-second video featuring Mayawati, the national president of the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, is circulating on social media. The video suggests that she is urging support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in return for free ration provided by Narendra Modi. In the video, Mayawati is heard saying, “Shri Narendra Modiji has given you free ration, and with this, you hold a debt, so you need to repay it by voting for BJP.”

The text superimposed on the video (in Hindi) translates to, “Now Mayawati has also appealed to vote for BJP.”

A Facebook user shared the video with the caption, “Now Mayawati has also appealed to vote for BJP! Dr. Mayawati ji has raised the bid to finish the mission of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Honorable Kanshiram ji,! The mission we are saving. BSPI neck cadres don't sit quietly in homes. Get on the field and support us. This fight is to save the country and the constitution (translated).” An archived version of the post is available here.

The video has also gained traction on X (formerly Twitter), with archived versions of similar posts available here and here.

Screenshot of claims made online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, this video is edited. A longer version shows Mayawati stating that members of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) solicit votes in the name of the free ration provided by the Narendra Modi government.

What we found

Logically Facts traced the clip back to a public event held on May 4, 2024, in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. At this event, Mayawati campaigned for the BSP candidate, Pooja Amrohi, who is contesting from the Agra Lok Sabha Constituency in the Lok Sabha elections. Voting for the constituency is currently underway, as it goes to polls in the third phase of the elections on May 7, 2024.

We found the complete video on the Bahujan Samaj Party's YouTube channel (archived here). At the 26:11 timestamp, we hear the portion of the speech that's going viral. Mayawati is heard saying, “All the BJP and RSS members are going village by village to say that Narendra Modiji gave you free ration, which is why you have a debt, and so you have to repay it by voting for the BJP.” 

She then adds, "I'd like to convey to the less privileged people that the complimentary ration being distributed isn't funded from the pockets of the BJP or Narendra Modi; it comes from the taxes you've contributed to the Uttar Pradesh government or the central government. It's not a goodwill gesture from the BJP or Modiji."

Before making these remarks, Mayawati discusses the BJP's strategies for garnering votes. At the 25:20 timestamp, she says, "For some years now, under the central government in India, poor families have been receiving free ration, which may not be very beneficial." She continues, "You are all aware that during the state Assembly elections here, as well as now during the Lok Sabha elections across the country, BJP and RSS members have made it their mission to deceive voters by exploiting the distribution of ration by the central government to the poor and marginalized."

Comparison showing the viral video and the YouTube video. (Source: Facebook/Bahujan Samaj Party/YouTube)

During the speech, she criticizes the BJP and Prime Minister Modi, stating that the BJP is seeking votes by highlighting the free ration they provide. This indicates that Mayawati was not supporting the BJP or asking people to vote for the BJP.

According to The Times of India, during her speech, Mayawati criticized the Congress and the BJP for their claims on reservations and blamed the Samajwadi Party for making reservations in government job promotions.

The verdict 

A small portion of Mayawati’s election speech from a recent rally in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, has been shared with the false claim that she supported the BJP. We have marked this claim as misleading.