Brazilian model’s stock photo sparks new storm in Rahul Gandhi’s Haryana ‘vote chori’ claim

Hours before high-stakes Bihar Assembly polls, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reignited a political firestorm, alleging once again that the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections were “stolen” and rigged in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

At a dramatic press conference on November 5, he held up a photograph of a Brazilian woman — claiming her image appeared 22 times on the Haryana electoral rolls — as fresh proof of a vast “vote chori” (vote theft) conspiracy.

The woman in the photo, identified as Larissa, has now responded with disbelief. In a series of videos posted online, she clarified that the image was an old stock photograph from her early modelling days and insisted she had no connection whatsoever to Indian politics.

“I have absolutely nothing to do with politics in India,” she said. “My photo was purchased from a stock image platform and used without my involvement. It’s not me — I’ve never even been to India.” Now a digital influencer and hairdresser, she added warmly, “I love the Indian people.”

Larissa said her Instagram account was flooded with comments — mostly from Indians — ever since Rahul Gandhi’s presentation went viral. Many, she said, were trying to figure out who she was.

“Welcome, my Indian followers! It seems I’ve gained many Indian followers now,” she said. “People were commenting as if I was elected! Just to be clear — it wasn’t me, it was only my photo.”

Grateful yet amused by the sudden surge in attention, she added, “I appreciate the kindness of everyone viewing my stories, sharing them with Indian media, and translating them. I don’t know your language, but I am genuinely grateful.”

Lightening the mood further, she quipped, “I didn’t even think I looked Indian — I thought I looked Mexican.”

In another video, Larissa said several Indian journalists had reached out seeking interviews. “I’ve responded, saying I’m the so-called ‘mysterious Brazilian model’ — but I’m not even a model anymore,” she said. She even joked that she planned to learn a few Indian words to connect better with her new audience. “I only know ‘Namaste’ right now, but I’ll learn more. Soon, I’ll be famous in India,” she laughed.

Rahul Gandhi’s renewed allegations

At his briefing, Rahul Gandhi doubled down on his charge that the Haryana elections were manipulated. Presenting what he called “H-Files,” he alleged that a “centralized plan” had deployed Larissa’s stock image 22 times across 10 booths in the Rai Assembly constituency under different names, including “Seema,” “Sweety,” and “Saraswati.”

He claimed that 25,41,144 entries on the Haryana electoral rolls were fake, including 5,21,619 duplicate voters, 93,174 invalid addresses, and 19,26,351 bulk voters.

“There was no election in Haryana,” he declared. “There was a theft — and it is very clear who is responsible.”

EC, BJP dismiss charges

Sources in the Election Commission rejected the allegations outright, noting that no appeals had been filed against the electoral rolls. They also questioned how Gandhi could assert that the purported fake or duplicate voters had favoured the BJP, suggesting they could just as easily have voted for the Congress.

The BJP dismissed the claims as “false and baseless,” accusing the Congress leader of attacking the Election Commission to “hide his failures” and “defame the country’s democracy.”

As the controversy spirals, Larissa — the unsuspecting model thrust into India’s electoral storm — remains at the centre of a political battle she never imagined she would be part of.