10 November,2025 04:02 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The woman in question was identified as Larissa Nery, a former Brazilian model and now a beautician. Pic/X
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of "vote chori" during last year's Haryana Assembly elections have sparked widespread online buzz after he displayed a photo of a Brazilian woman, later identified as Larissa Nery, who is now reportedly seeking legal help, reports said on Monday.
Rahul claimed that she appeared multiple times on voter lists under different Indian names.
During a press conference last week, on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the woman's photograph was used 22 times across 10 polling booths in the Rai Assembly constituency, appearing under names such as Seema, Sweety and Saraswati.
He alleged that this was evidence of a "centralised operation" to manipulate votes, accusing the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to "steal" the polls, reported the PTI.
The woman in question was identified as Larissa Nery, a former Brazilian model and now a beautician.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate, who heads the party's social media department, shared a video of Nery reacting to her image going viral.
In the clip, reportedly translated from Portuguese, Nery says, "Guys, they are using an old photo of mine⦠I was young in that photo, maybe 18 or 20 years old. I don't know if it's an election or something about voting⦠in India! They are portraying me as Indian to scam people. What madness!"
A news report in India Today on Monday stated that Nery has reportedly sought legal advice following the widespread unauthorised use of her photograph in the alleged 'voter list manipulation'. The Brazilian national is said to be concerned about the potential damage to her career and personal life.
According to a Brazilian television channel, Nery's legal team is examining possible actions to address the alleged misuse of her likeness and to safeguard her digital rights, the news report stated.
At the presser, Rahul Gandhi held up the photo and asked reporters to guess the woman's nationality, later revealing she was Brazilian and that her image was from a stock photograph.
"She is one of 25 lakh such fake records in Haryana," he claimed, adding that scanning a QR code displayed on screen led to the woman's official profile page, according to the PTI.
The incident has since gone viral online, with social media users sharing memes, jokes, and speculations about Nery's identity and profession.
