Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in his press conference on alleged voter fraud in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, showcased a Brazilian model whose photo was allegedly used 22 times in voter rolls.
The woman in question, identified as Larissa, has now broken her silence. In a video, she said the photo was a stock image from her early modelling days and that she had nothing to do with Indian politics.
“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,” she clarified, adding that she now works as a hairdresser and digital influencer.
🚨 Brazilian model reacts after photo used in Rahul Gandhi’s election claims
Larissa, a Brazilian model appears shocked and amused after her old photo was used in posts linking her to fake Indian voters named Seema or Saraswati
She called it “crazy” that she’s being shown as… pic.twitter.com/2wUHfmeYdB
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) November 5, 2025
Following Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, Larissa’s Instagram exploded with comments from Indian users curious about her identity. “People were commenting on my photos as if I was elected! It wasn’t me, it was only my photo,” she said, while thanking Indians for their kindness.
Jokingly, she added that she didn’t even look Indian. “I thought I looked Mexican,” she quipped. She then shared her plans to learn a few Hindi words to greet her new followers. “I only know ‘Namaste’ for now, but I’ll learn more — soon I’ll be famous in India!”
In another clip, Larissa said that several Indian journalists were trying to contact her for interviews. “I’m the so-called mysterious Brazilian model — but I’m not even a model anymore,” she laughed.
Meanwhile, at his press conference titled “H-Files,” Rahul Gandhi alleged that the votes in Haryana Assembly elections were “stolen”, accusing the BJP and Election Commission of orchestrating a centralised plan of voter fraud. He claimed that over 25 lakh fake entries were found, including the repeated use of Larissa’s photo under names like “Seema,” “Sweety,” and “Saraswati”.
The Election Commission dismissed Rahul’s claims, stating no appeals had been filed against the electoral rolls. The BJP called his allegations “false and baseless”, accusing him of undermining democracy to cover up his party’s failures.