Brazilian Model’s Photo Sparks Row in Haryana ‘Vote Theft’ Controversy; Rahul Gandhi’s Claims Face Scrutiny

New Delhi | November 6, 2025 — In an unexpected twist to Haryana’s ongoing “vote chori” (vote theft) controversy, a photograph of a Brazilian model has become the centre of a heated political storm following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale voter ID manipulation.

During a recent press conference, Gandhi presented several visuals purportedly showing identical photos appearing on multiple voter ID cards — one of which, it later emerged, belonged to Larissa, a Brazilian model and social media influencer.

Model Reacts in Shock

The revelation came after fact-checker Mohammed Zubair shared a video online clarifying that the photograph shown in Gandhi’s presentation did not belong to an Indian voter. The image quickly went viral, prompting Larissa herself to respond.

The name of the Brazilian Model seen in @RahulGandhi's press conference is Larissa. Here's her reaction after her old photograph went viral. pic.twitter.com/K4xSibA2OP

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) November 5, 2025

In a video statement translated from Portuguese, she expressed disbelief over her photo being used in Indian political debates. “Guys, I can’t believe this. They’re using an old photo of mine — I was 18 or 20 at that time. They’re portraying me as an Indian woman to scam people. What madness! What kind of world are we living in?” she exclaimed.

Her reaction triggered widespread discussion on social media, with many users ridiculing the confusion while others questioned how her image found its way into India’s electoral records.

Woman Whose Voter ID Used Clarifies

CNN-News18 traced one of the voter IDs featuring Larissa’s photograph to a woman named Pinky Juginder Kaushik. Speaking to the channel, Kaushik clarified that the mismatch was the result of a clerical error.

“Yes, I personally went to cast my vote at the village school. The name on the card is mine, but the photograph is someone else’s — it was a mistake in printing. Still, I did vote myself. No one pressured me; I showed my slip and voted,” she said.

Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations

The controversy erupted after Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of orchestrating widespread electoral fraud during the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections. Displaying the Brazilian model’s image during his press briefing, Gandhi questioned, “Yeh kaun hai?” (“Who is this woman?”), alleging that her photograph appeared 22 times across at least 10 different polling booths.

“The Congress lost by 22,000 votes. But this lady votes 22 times in Haryana, under multiple names. The BJP is ensuring victory through fake votes and massive manipulation of postal ballots,” Gandhi claimed.

Election Commission, Media Investigations Refute Claims

The Election Commission dismissed the allegations, pointing out that Congress polling agents had raised no objections during the voting process itself.

An independent investigation by The Indian Express further undermined several of Gandhi’s claims. For instance, the Congress leader had cited properties in Hodal — including one address with “66 voters” and another with “501 voters” — as examples of voter list manipulation. However, the newspaper found that these properties were large ancestral plots occupied by multiple generations of the same extended family, each legally registered under the same house number.

A Viral Mix-Up with Political Consequences

What began as a political charge of voter fraud has now spiraled into an international talking point, after a model halfway across the world became an unwitting participant in India’s electoral controversy.

As the debate rages, both the Election Commission and media fact-checkers continue to call for caution against the spread of misinformation — reminding political parties to verify before they amplify.