CHANDIGARH: A bizarre twist emerged in the Haryana voter fraud controversy after a Brazilian model’s photo was allegedly used multiple times in voter lists across the state. The woman in the picture has now been identified as Larissa, a former model from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, who has mocked the incident in a light-hearted video after learning her image was misused in India’s elections.
The controversy erupted after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP of colluding to “steal votes” in Haryana. Gandhi claimed that the same photograph of a Brazilian woman appeared on voter lists at 10 polling booths, allegedly allowing fake voters to cast ballots.
Following his remarks, curious netizens traced the image back to Larissa, whose pictures once featured on several modeling platforms. A video of her reacting to the controversy soon went viral on social media.
Larissa’s Reaction: “They Are Using My Old Picture!”
In the video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Larissa—speaking in Portuguese—appeared amused and bewildered. “Friends, I’m going to tell you a joke—they’re using an old picture of me! I must have been about 18 or 20 years old… I don’t know if it’s an election, something about voting in India!” she said with a laugh.
She added that a reporter had even tried to contact her at her workplace. “He called the salon where I work, asking for an interview. I didn’t answer. Then he found my Instagram and messaged me there. Later, a friend from another city sent me the same picture and asked what was going on.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1986074774162825421
Larissa is reportedly no longer a professional model and now runs a beauty salon in Belo Horizonte.
Photographer Deletes Instagram Account
Meanwhile, Matheus Ferrero, the Brazilian photographer who originally took the viral photo years ago, deleted his Instagram account after his work was widely shared amid the Indian election controversy. Sources say he faced a flood of messages and online harassment after his image became central to the “vote chori” row.
The Election Commission of India has not yet issued an official statement on how the model’s image appeared in the Haryana voter lists. The incident has raised fresh questions about the integrity of voter data and possible lapses in verification processes.