‘Absolutely nothing to do with…’: Indians flood Brazilian model’s Instagram account after Rahul Gandhi’s presser
Rahul Gandhi 'vote chori' allegations: The Brazilian model also revealed that her Instagram was flooded with comments, especially from Indians, after her image went viral.
- Nov 6, 2025,
- Updated Nov 6, 2025 10:05 AM IST
The Brazilian model whose photo, Rahul Gandhi claimed, was used 22 times on the Haryana electoral rolls, has reacted with surprise at the unusual turn of events. The model, identified as Larissa, has said that the photo used in the voter cards was her stock photo from her early modelling days.
“I have absolutely nothing to do with politics in India. 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. I’m a Brazilian digital influencer and a hairdresser, and I love the Indian people,” she said in a video.
She also revealed that her Instagram was flooded with comments, especially from Indians, after her image went viral. “Welcome, my Indian followers, to my Instagram! It seems I’ve gained many Indian followers now. People were commenting on my photos as if I was elected! Just to be clear, it wasn’t me, it was only my photo," she said. Larissa said she truly appreciates the kindness of all the Indians who are viewing her stories and sharing them with the Indian media as well as translating them. “I don’t know your language, but I am genuinely grateful,” she said.
The model also said in another video that Indian journalists are trying to reach out to her. “A bunch of Indian journalists are looking for me, wanting interviews. I’ve responded, saying that I’m the so-called ‘mysterious Brazilian model’ — but I’m not even a model,” she said. Larissa quipped that she now plans to learn some “Indian words”
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, intensified his "vote chori" allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission (EC) after the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, claiming widespread voter fraud. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Gandhi asserted that he possessed "100 per cent proof" of what he described as "systemic manipulation" intended to reverse Congress' victory.
He claimed that 25 lakh fake votes – approximately 12 per cent of Haryana's electorate – were cast and that his team had identified 5.21 lakh duplicate entries. According to Gandhi, "One in every eight voters in Haryana is fake.”
Gandhi presented slides that, he claimed, demonstrated discrepancies in voter rolls, including an example where a Brazilian model's photograph was reportedly used 22 times under different names at various polling booths. He described the events as a "planned operation" and remarked, "all exit polls pointed to a Congress victory in Haryana." He further stated, "For the first time in Haryana's history, postal ballots didn't match the actual votes. A plan was put in motion to convert Congress' landslide victory into a loss."
During the press briefing, Gandhi insisted his allegations were backed by verified data and said he was "questioning not just the EC, but the democratic process itself." He accused the poll body and the BJP of acting together, and questioned the EC's refusal to address duplicate entries.
Expanding on his claims, Gandhi alleged that the BJP, with the EC's support, would adopt the same "sarkar chori" tactics in Bihar. He criticised the election roll revision process in the state, stating, "In Bihar, many voters were deleted from the list. But they can be found at their address. The reason is that we get the voter list at the very last minute of the election."
The Election Commission responded by dismissing Gandhi's allegations as "unfounded." The EC stated that "no appeals had been filed against the state's electoral rolls." The Commission further noted that only 22 election petitions remain pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The Brazilian model whose photo, Rahul Gandhi claimed, was used 22 times on the Haryana electoral rolls, has reacted with surprise at the unusual turn of events. The model, identified as Larissa, has said that the photo used in the voter cards was her stock photo from her early modelling days.
“I have absolutely nothing to do with politics in India. 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. I’m a Brazilian digital influencer and a hairdresser, and I love the Indian people,” she said in a video.
She also revealed that her Instagram was flooded with comments, especially from Indians, after her image went viral. “Welcome, my Indian followers, to my Instagram! It seems I’ve gained many Indian followers now. People were commenting on my photos as if I was elected! Just to be clear, it wasn’t me, it was only my photo," she said. Larissa said she truly appreciates the kindness of all the Indians who are viewing her stories and sharing them with the Indian media as well as translating them. “I don’t know your language, but I am genuinely grateful,” she said.
The model also said in another video that Indian journalists are trying to reach out to her. “A bunch of Indian journalists are looking for me, wanting interviews. I’ve responded, saying that I’m the so-called ‘mysterious Brazilian model’ — but I’m not even a model,” she said. Larissa quipped that she now plans to learn some “Indian words”
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, intensified his "vote chori" allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission (EC) after the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, claiming widespread voter fraud. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Gandhi asserted that he possessed "100 per cent proof" of what he described as "systemic manipulation" intended to reverse Congress' victory.
He claimed that 25 lakh fake votes – approximately 12 per cent of Haryana's electorate – were cast and that his team had identified 5.21 lakh duplicate entries. According to Gandhi, "One in every eight voters in Haryana is fake.”
Gandhi presented slides that, he claimed, demonstrated discrepancies in voter rolls, including an example where a Brazilian model's photograph was reportedly used 22 times under different names at various polling booths. He described the events as a "planned operation" and remarked, "all exit polls pointed to a Congress victory in Haryana." He further stated, "For the first time in Haryana's history, postal ballots didn't match the actual votes. A plan was put in motion to convert Congress' landslide victory into a loss."
During the press briefing, Gandhi insisted his allegations were backed by verified data and said he was "questioning not just the EC, but the democratic process itself." He accused the poll body and the BJP of acting together, and questioned the EC's refusal to address duplicate entries.
Expanding on his claims, Gandhi alleged that the BJP, with the EC's support, would adopt the same "sarkar chori" tactics in Bihar. He criticised the election roll revision process in the state, stating, "In Bihar, many voters were deleted from the list. But they can be found at their address. The reason is that we get the voter list at the very last minute of the election."
The Election Commission responded by dismissing Gandhi's allegations as "unfounded." The EC stated that "no appeals had been filed against the state's electoral rolls." The Commission further noted that only 22 election petitions remain pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.