No, multiple BJP candidates did not get identical number of votes – 2,11,280

A message is viral on social media claiming that multiple BJP candidates had received an identical number of votes, and it is being suggested that such a result cannot be achieved without EVMs being rigged. The text of the claim is, “बिना ईवीएम सेट किए ही अलग अलग सीट पे भाजपा प्रत्यासी को एक जितने वोट कैसे मिले ? हर लिस्ट में बीजेपी को एक ही 2,11,820 का अंक मिल रहा है। (Without rigging EVMs, how is it possible that BJP candidates got identical votes on multiple seats? In every list, the count corresponding to BJP is identical – 2,11,820)”

The claim is also being shared on Twitter. Multiple people have sent the above set of screenshots with the accompanying text to Alt News on WhatsApp as well. The constituencies in question, that have been shown in the above screenshots, are all from Uttar Pradesh. These 7 constituencies are Basti, Baghpat, Barabanki, Ballia, Bijnor, Sultanpur and Bulandshahr.

Fact-check

This viral claim about BJP candidates getting identical number of votes on multiple seats is absolutely false. In order to verify this claim, Alt News looked up the 2019 Lok Sabha results on the election commission website and checked the numbers for the corresponding constituencies. Alt News found that each of the BJP candidates in the constituencies listed above have unique number of votes, and not a single match was found. The name of the constituency and the votes received by the BJP candidate are listed in the table below.

As can be seen above, there is no truth to the claim that is being circulated on social media.

After BJP’s win and Congress’ loss in the Lok Sabha elections, there is a spate of misinformation around EVMs, seeking to create doubts in those who are opposed to BJP about the veracity of EVMs. Earlier, it was falsely claimed that 6 lakhs vote polled in favour of Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad had vanished from ECI records.