NEW DELHI: A photograph of a Brazilian model has become a contentious symbol in the escalating dispute over alleged electoral fraud in Rahul Gandhi’s “vote chori” campaign.
Speaking at a press conference, the Leader of the Opposition claimed that a woman, whom he identified as a Brazilian model appeared in voter-roll entries in Haryana under different names and cast votes “22 times at 10 different booths”. He stated that the same photograph was used under names such as “Seema”, “Sweety”, “Saraswati”, “Rashmi” and “Vilma”. According to the allegation, this case is part of a broader pattern of irregularities amounting to 25 lakh “fake” votes out of a 2 crore-strong voter list in Haryana.
The model in question, identified in media reports as Larissa Rocha Silva, reacted in a short video to the claim, saying: “It’s too horrible! Are we using an old picture of me? My photo is older … They’re using my picture for voting in India, portraying me as Indian … Look how crazy!” She further described the situation as “absurd and unexpected” and revealed a reporter had reached out to her via Instagram about the matter. In response, the Election Commission of India (ECI) stated that no formal objections were raised by parliamentary agents during the voting process, and that standard procedures had been followed in the election process.
Political reaction has been swift. Some observers say the claim raises serious questions about roll-preparation and verification systems; others view it as a politically timed narrative ahead of the ongoing state polls. The opposition has called for an independent audit of the electoral rolls and booth-level transparency.
As this controversy unfolds, the matter may find its way into judicial and election-regulatory forums. Meanwhile, the validity of the model’s photo usage and its implications for the integrity of the electoral process remain under scrutiny.
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