Meta blocks viral video in post alleging that BJP candidate in Bengal bye-poll ‘looted votes’

What did the viral video appear to show, and what allegation did Golam Nabi Azad make about it?

The viral clip mattered because it appeared to place a candidate directly beside an electronic voting machine during voting. It showed Shankharav Sarkar entering a library used as a polling station in Majlishpur village, greeting voters, identifying himself as the BJP candidate, and moving behind the voting screen. A beep was then heard.

Golam Nabi Azad, Sarkar’s principal opponent, posted the video on Facebook. He called the Rejinagar bye-election an “unprecedented farce in the name of democracy” and alleged, “The BJP candidate himself has looted votes!” The screen identified polling station 12 Majlishpur Rural Library and Assembly seat 70 Rejinagar.

The video did not establish exactly what happened inside the booth. The article says it was unclear whether Sarkar was inspecting the voting process with a valid pass. Sarkar did not respond to requests for clarification, so the allegation remained unresolved in the report.

Why did Meta remove the post, and what happened to the video’s public availability after the legal request from Indian authorities?

Meta removed Azad’s Facebook post because Indian authorities made a legal request. The platform placed a message over the post explaining that the removal complied with that request. The article does not identify the specific authority, legal provision, or alleged violation behind the request.

Before removal, the post had carried the video and Azad’s allegations about the Rejinagar vote. Meta’s action meant that the post was no longer publicly available on Facebook in the form described by the article. The report does not say whether copies remained elsewhere online or whether the video was removed from every platform.

The removal changed how people could access the central piece of evidence in the dispute. It did not, by itself, resolve whether the video accurately showed a rules violation. The allegation also remained contested because Sarkar did not respond to requests for comment.

What are election candidates legally allowed to do inside a polling station, and why could going behind the voting screen create a rules violation?

Election rules allow candidates to visit polling stations and inspect the voting process when they hold a valid pass. This access is meant to support observation, not give candidates control over the machine or the voter’s private act. The article says it was unclear whether Sarkar had a valid pass or what he was doing inside the booth.

Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi said a candidate can look at the electronic voting machine from a distance, but cannot approach it closely. “Nobody can touch the machine except the voter,” he said. If a candidate has concerns, the presiding officer is the proper person to approach.

Going behind the screen could therefore create a rules violation because it appears to move beyond ordinary inspection and toward the machine itself. The video includes a beep, but does not prove what caused it. Sarkar’s actions could not be conclusively assessed because he did not provide a clarification.

How large was Shankharav Sarkar’s victory over Azad in Rejinagar, and what were the vote totals for each candidate?

The Rejinagar result gave Shankharav Sarkar a commanding victory over Golam Nabi Azad. Sarkar was declared the winner with 1,29,914 votes. Azad received 54,098 votes. The difference between them was 75,816 votes.

The result was announced on Friday, after the October 6 bye-election. Azad had been the BJP candidate’s principal opponent and had used the video to accuse Sarkar of vote stealing. Despite that controversy, Sarkar finished far ahead in the official count described in the report.

The article also reports another West Bengal bye-election result. In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasirani Rath defeated Congress candidate Milan Pradhan by 1,22,753 votes. These figures show the scale of the reported outcomes, but they do not settle the separate questions raised about polling conduct in Rejinagar.

If a candidate believes an electronic voting machine is being mishandled, what official procedure should they use instead of touching or testing the machine themselves?

The official procedure is to raise the concern with the polling station’s presiding officer. That officer is responsible for managing the station and responding to problems involving the voting process or equipment. A candidate should not investigate the machine independently.

SY Quraishi, a former Chief Election Commissioner, said candidates may look at an electronic voting machine from a distance but cannot go up to it. He stressed that nobody except the voter can touch the machine. OP Rawat, another former chief election commissioner, also shared his view, though the article does not quote his comments.

This process creates a recorded and accountable channel for objections. It also helps preserve the voter’s privacy and prevents candidates from interfering with equipment. In the Rejinagar case, the video’s apparent movement behind the screen raised the question of whether the proper procedure had been followed, but no official clarification was reported.

What is a bye-election, and why did Rejinagar need one after the previous winner had already won another Assembly seat?

A bye-election is a vote held to fill a vacant elected seat before the next regular election. It matters because constituents need a representative even when the seat becomes empty for an unusual reason. The Rejinagar contest was not caused by the normal end of an Assembly term.

Humayun Kabir of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party had won Rejinagar in the April Assembly elections. He had also won the Nowda Assembly seat. Because he could retain only one, he chose Nowda, leaving Rejinagar open for a fresh contest. That vacancy made the October 6 bye-election necessary.

The article describes another bye-election in Nandigram. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur and chose to retain Bhabanipur. Thus, Nandigram also required a new vote. The reported winners were Sarkar in Rejinagar and Hasirani Rath in Nandigram.

How do voter rolls, voter identity cards, presiding officers, election observers, and complaints help protect the secret ballot and the legitimacy of an election?

These safeguards work at different stages of an election. Voter rolls show who is registered, while an electors photo identity card helps connect a person to that record. The presiding officer manages the polling station, and an election observer provides an independent oversight role. Together, these checks support orderly voting and protect the secrecy of each voter’s choice.

The article illustrates the checks through Sarkar’s records. His affidavit listed Baharampur as his constituency, and the voter list also showed his name there. A search using his identity-card number still found him registered in Baharampur. At Majlishpur, the booth-level officer prepared the roll but said officers were not allowed inside the voting area.

If a candidate suspects mishandling, the proper route is a complaint to the presiding officer, not touching the machine. The general observer can also be asked to address concerns. These procedures create an official record and allow scrutiny while keeping the ballot itself private.

Key Facts:

📌 The video appeared to show Sarkar going behind the voting screen.

📌 Azad alleged that the BJP candidate had “looted votes.”

📌 The polling station was 12 Majlishpur Rural Library.

📌 Indian authorities made the legal request to Meta.

📌 Meta overlaid a removal message on the Facebook post.

📌 The article does not say whether copies survived elsewhere.

📌 Candidates may inspect polling stations with valid passes.