Old image of Muslims voting in Varanasi falsely shared linking to BMC polls with a communal spin

This image is from Varanasi during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

An image of Muslims standing in a queue to vote is going viral on social media accompanied by the claim that it depicts a scene from the recently concluded Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in 2026. The caption of the post states, “This picture was clicked around 4 PM in Mumbai, long queue to vote for Janab Uddhav-Raj… They know the power of their votes, Hindus don’t”.

Let’s check the truth

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Fact Check-

We began our investigation by conducting a reverse image search on Google, which led us to a report by the Guardian published in June 2024. The report contained the same image as the viral post and was credited to Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo. The caption states, “Muslims stand in queues to cast their votes in the seventh and final phase of national elections, in Varanasi, India, Saturday, June 1, 2024.

Next, we checked the image on the AP website and found it as a part of a series of photographs listed under the Varanasi voting India 2024 category by AP.

Thus, we can see that the viral image was taken on 1 June, 2024, during polling in Varanasi and has no connection to the recently concluded municipal elections in Mumbai.

The 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election took place on 15 January 2026 to elect members to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Voting lasted one day and the results were released on 16th January. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maha Yuti alliance secured a simple majority. The BJP emerged as the single largest party winning 89 seats on its own.

An old image from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi is being falsely shared with a communal spin.

Conclusion-

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral image to be Misleading. This image is from Varanasi during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and not from Mumbai’s BMC elections.