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The 'Brazilian model', whose photo was used by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to support his vote theft allegations in Haryana polls, has reacted with surprise, saying the picture was of her early modelling days and clarified that she was no longer a model. "It seems I’ve gained many Indian followers now," she quipped on Instagram, asserting "it wasn't me, it was only my photo". "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 in a video, reposted by Congress leaders on X. The Brazilian woman, who identified as Larissa, said that she is a "digital influencer and a hairdresser, and I love the Indian people." Larissa revealed that many Indians flooded her Instagram with comments, after her photo went viral following Rahul Gandhi's press briefing. Many were trying to learn more about her identity. "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 asserted. "But I truly appreciate the kindness of all the Indians who are viewing my stories, sharing them with Indian media, and translating them. I don’t know your language, but I am genuinely grateful,” the former model said, and added that she did not even look Indian. "I thought I looked Mexican," she quipped. Senior Congress leaders, including Supriya Shrinate and Srinivas BV, shared the video on X. Rahul Gandhi sparked controversy when he displayed a photo of the Brazilian 'model' at a press conference on Wednesday, claiming that it appeared 22 times, across 10 different booths in Haryana, using multiple names: Seema, Sweety and Rashmi. "What's shocking is that she's reportedly from Brazil - a Brazilian model, to be specific. She's one of the 25 lakh such records in Haryana, which further supports the existence of a centralised operation," he said. According to a report, the photograph, titled 'woman wearing blue denim jacket', is available for free download on stock photography websites. While the woman is not named on these websites, the photographer is Matheus Ferrero, based in the Brazilian city, Belo Horizonte. The photograph has been downloaded over 4 lakh times from these two websites. For the Latest news, India News, Bihar Election 2025 updates and breaking stories from around the world, visit Times Now for live coverage and in-depth reporting.
