A Brazilian model, whose photograph was erroneously used by Rahul Gandhi in an accusation of voter fraud in Haryana, has humorously responded to the viral controversy. The model, identified as Larissa Nery, expressed her amusement upon discovering her image was featured in an Indian electoral dispute. In a video shared on social media, Nery recounted receiving a call from a reporter about the situation, finding it quite funny that an old photograph of hers was circulating in this context.
She explained, “Guys, I’m going to tell you some gossip, you’ll laugh so hard. I’m going to tell the gossip. Guys, they’re using an old photo of mine. It’s an old photo, okay? I look really young in the photo — I must be about 20, 18 years old. They are using my photo to do…I don’t know if it’s an election, something you have to vote in India. They’re portraying me as Indian to scam people, guys. Can you believe it? What kind of craziness are we living through?”
Nery further detailed how a reporter contacted her, even reaching out to her workplace seeking an interview. After initially not responding, the reporter found her Instagram and messaged her. A friend from another city then sent her the viral photo, which she shared for her followers to see.
Rahul Gandhi had alleged that Larissa’s photo was linked to 22 different names, including Sweety, Seema, and Saraswati, on the Haryana voter roll. However, a woman named Poonam, who shares Larissa’s photo on her voter ID, was later identified by media outlets. Poonam presented her valid voter ID and confirmed that she had indeed voted in the Haryana polls, asserting the legitimacy of her vote.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has since criticized the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of intentionally disseminating a fabricated voter list to damage the reputation of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
