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Brazilian hairdresser's photo linked to India election fraud claims
A 29-year-old Brazilian hairdresser, Larissa Nery, found herself unexpectedly at the center of a political storm in India this week after her photograph appeared in allegations of voter fraud leveled by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission.
Nery, who resides in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, told the BBC she initially dismissed the messages flooding her social media as a mistake or prank-until she saw her image displayed during Gandhi's press conference on Wednesday. The opposition leader claimed her photo had been used across 22 voter registrations in Haryana state under different names, including Seema, Sweety, and Saraswati.
How a 2017 portrait resurfaced in a political scandal
The photograph in question was taken in March 2017 by Brazilian photographer Matheus Ferrero, who approached Nery outside her home after finding her appearance striking. Ferrero later uploaded the images to Unsplash, where they garnered over 57 million views. Neither Nery nor Ferrero had any connection to India or its politics.
Gandhi's allegations, part of a broader accusation of "vote theft" involving 2.5 million irregular entries in Haryana's 2024 voter rolls, included slides showing Nery's photo paired with multiple identities. The BJP and Election Commission have denied wrongdoing, while Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer shared a letter sent to Gandhi in August requesting evidence of ineligible voters-without addressing Nery's case directly.
'I became scared': Viral fallout disrupts lives
Nery described the sudden attention as overwhelming, forcing her to remove her salon's name from her social media profiles after journalists and clients inundated her with messages. "I cannot tell if it is dangerous for me or if speaking about it could harm someone there," she said, admitting she lacks context about India's political landscape. Ferrero, meanwhile, deactivated his Instagram and privatized the original Facebook post after his work was misused in memes and unauthorized publications.
"People were making memes, like turning it into a game show joke. It's absurd."
Matheus Ferrero, photographer
Ferrero, who initially ignored inquiries from India assuming they were scams, expressed concern over the misuse of his portfolio: "I felt invaded. You think, 'Did I do something wrong?' But I didn't." Both he and Nery emphasized their detachment from the controversy, with Nery stating, "This is far from my reality. I do not even follow elections in Brazil, let alone in another country."
Unanswered questions and ongoing investigations
The BBC has reached out to India's Election Commission for comment. Gandhi's claims-part of a months-long series of accusations against the poll panel-remain unverified, though the Haryana CEO's letter suggests prior engagement with his team. Ferrero acknowledged that exposing potential fraud could be positive but admitted, "I don't really know the details."
For Nery, the ordeal has disrupted her professional life, while Ferrero grapples with the ethical implications of his work's unintended role in a foreign political dispute. Both remain baffled by how a routine photoshoot seven years ago spiraled into an international incident.
