Video of voters being threatened in Indian state elections is old

"A TMC member warns residents that if even a single vote goes to the BJP, or if anyone hoists a BJP flag, she will set everything on fire," reads a Hindi-language X post shared on April 18, 2026.

The Bengali-language text overlaid on the video reads: "If a single vote goes to the BJP, I'll set everything on fire! Listen to her warning."

"Not one single BJP flag should be tied here. No one will vote for Mousumi," the attached clip shows a woman saying in Bengali, referring to Mousumi Das, a BJP candidate in a state municipal election in 2022. 

"If one single vote is cast for Mousumi, I will set the homes of those who will vote for BJP on fire, I promise."

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Screenshot of the false X post taken on April 23, 2026, with a red X added by AFP

The video also spread with a similar claim on Facebook before polls in the state election opened in two phases on April 23 and 29 (archived link). Results for both elections are expected on May 4.

Modi's BJP is in opposition in West Bengal, and is waging an aggressive bid to dislodge Mamata Banerjee, the firebrand leader of the TMC ruling the state since 2011. 

West Bengal has a long history of election violence, and New Delhi has announced the deployment of additional security forces to quell any clashes (archived here and here). 

But the video is not linked to the 2026 state elections.   

2022 polls

A reverse image search on Google using keyframes led to a longer version of the video published on the YouTube channel of Bengali news channel ABP Ananda on February 8, 2022 (archived link).

Its caption reads in a mix of English and Bengali: "BJP Leader agitation: 'If you vote for the BJP candidate, I will break into your homes and beat you' -- a threat issued by a BJP leader herself!" 

The scene in the false clip can be seen from the 0:22 and one-minute marks of the ABP YouTube video. 

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Screenshot comparison of the false X post (left) and the ABP Ananda YouTube video

According to the report, the woman in the video is Baby Koley, who claimed she was poised to be BJP's candidate in the Kharagpur municipality in West Bengal's local election in 2022, before the party ultimately endorsed Das in the poll (archived link). 

Koley can be seen tearing down a Bengali-language banner at the ABP Ananda video's ten-second mark that reads: "Vote for Mousumi Das, Ward 10 Kharagpur Municipality Election."

Other news outlets also published videos showing the scene in the false clip in 2022 (archived here and here). 

Municipal election

Koley told AFP by phone on April 28 she is the person seen in the video. She said she had worked for the BJP for many years but opposed the party during the 2022 elections after she was left out from the ticket.

"I served the BJP for a long time, but when the election came, they did not make me a candidate. Instead, the ticket was given to someone else for money," she said. "That is why I opposed the BJP candidate."

AFP reached out to BJP but no response was forthcoming.

Koley went on to say that she is now associated with the TMC despite local media reports that she was expelled in 2025 for assaulting a man (archived link).

The West Bengal Police also debunked the false claim on their official X account on April 18 (archived link).

AFP has previously debunked misinformation related to the West Bengal state election here and here. 

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