The voter caught in the middle of the ongoing ‘Brazilian model voter ID controversy’ has denied any connection to the viral photo shared by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying the fake ID card he presented does not belong to her.
“The voter ID card I have carries my real photo. The one Rahul Gandhi showed does not. I cast my vote, but I don’t know whose picture that is,” said Munesh, the woman identified in the case.
Rahul Gandhi Alleges Voter Fraud in Haryana Election
Earlier this week, Rahul Gandhi alleged large-scale voter fraud during the 2024 Haryana Assembly Election, claiming that a single voter ID with the photo of a Brazilian woman was used 22 times in the Rai constituency.
The seat was won by BJP’s Krishna Gahlawat, who defeated Congress candidate Bhagwan Antil by 4,673 votes.
According to Gandhi, the image on the voter ID was taken from a stock photo of a Brazilian model, which was allegedly used to cast multiple votes under different names, including Seema, Sweety, Saraswati, Rashmi, and Vimla.
BJP, Election Commission Dismiss Allegations
Responding to Gandhi’s claims, BJP leader Kiren Rijiju accused him of trying to divert public attention ahead of the Bihar elections.
“There’s nothing left in Bihar, so he’s shifting the narrative to Haryana,” Rijiju remarked.
Meanwhile, Election Commission sources clarified that the Congress party had not filed any official objections during the post-election review and called the allegations baseless.
Officials also emphasized that the duplicate voter entries could have been challenged earlier, adding that the Congress’s lack of vigilance weakened its case.
Congress Claims 25 Lakh Fake Votes in Haryana
During his presentation, Gandhi alleged that around 25 lakh fraudulent votes were cast during the Haryana election, which he said cost Congress a potential victory.
“This means one in every eight votes in Haryana was fake — around 12.5%,” he claimed, calling it a “centralized operation” that manipulated the electoral rolls in favor of the BJP.
He further accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of failing to remove duplicate IDs despite having the technical capability to do so instantly.
NDTV Investigation Reveals Missing Voters
Following Gandhi’s press conference, an independent investigation found major discrepancies in the voter lists of Rai constituency.
In Malikpur village (Sonipat district), several names — including four members of one family — were missing from the updated rolls.
One voter, Anjali Tyagi, claimed she voted in the 2024 general election, but her name vanished from the state assembly voter list just five months later.
Brazilian Woman in Viral Photo Speaks Out
The woman whose photo appeared on the fake voter ID has been identified as Larissa Nery, a Brazilian hairdresser and model.
In a viral video, she clarified:
“Guys, they are using an old photo of mine. I was around 18 or 20 at the time. I don’t know what this election story is in India — they are portraying me as an Indian to scam people. What madness!”
The video has gone viral across social media, adding a bizarre twist to an already controversial political debate.
Rahul Gandhi Questions Election Commission’s Integrity
Gandhi concluded by asserting that his party has “100% proof” of the fraud and vowed to continue challenging the Election Commission over what he described as an attack on Indian democracy.
“We are sure a plan was set in motion to turn Congress’s victory into a defeat,” he said.
The controversy continues to stir political tension ahead of upcoming state elections, as both Congress and the BJP exchange accusations over the credibility of India’s voting process.
