As Bihar gears up for its 243-member assembly elections, scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results to be announced on November 14, Lighthouse Journalism found an image being shared widely on social media platforms.
The image shows former chief minister of Bihar and president of RJD Lalu Prasad Yadav, along with current CM of Bihar nd leader of Janata Dal Nitish Kumar.
The users sharing this image are claiming that the dynamics of Bihar politics are changing as Nitish met Lalu ahead of the Bihar polls.
However, during the investigation, we found that the image is old and is being shared with a misleading claim.
Claim:
Instagram user Sunil Kumar Yadaw, shared the image with a misleading claim.
Other users are also sharing the same image with a similar claim.
Investigation:
We started the investigation by running a reverse image search on the viral image.
We found this image in the Times of India report from 2023.
The report said: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar arrived here on Tuesday and held a meeting with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, during which they were understood to have discussed the current political situation amid efforts to
strengthen the opposition unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
We also found the picture on other media platforms.
The report said: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad during which they were understood to have discussed the current political situation amid efforts to strengthen the Opposition unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Another news report stated: After arriving in the national capital, Kumar headed to Misa Bharti’s home, where Lalu Prasad is staying. Kumar met Lalu Prasad and enquired about his health. The source said they also discussed the current political situation. During his Delhi visit, Kumar is expected to meet a slew of Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Conclusion: The viral image of Nitish Kumar meeting Lalu Prasad Yadav, claimed to be recent, is from their meeting in 2023. The viral image is old, and the claim is misleading.
