"Now Your Turn, Bihar": Pune Woman's Viral Selfie Sparks 'Vote Theft' Row

A fresh controversy has emerged following Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's 'vote theft' charges. A Pune woman's photo with an inked finger during the Bihar elections Phase 1 voting has gone viral and added to the Congress's allegations that the BJP has been stealing votes to win the elections in the country.

This is the second example that Congress workers are flagging to back their allegations, after a Brazilian woman's photo went viral for being featured in the Haryana voter list.

Urrmi, a lawyer from Pune, had posted the selfie yesterday showing her finger marked with an indelible ink, which serves as essential proof that one voted. "Voted for a Modi-fied India. Jaai ke Vote daali, Bihar," the caption read.

Voted for a Modi-fied India! 🇮🇳

Jaai ke Vote daali, Bihar! pic.twitter.com/kkWMwShqSh

— Urrmi (@Urrmi_) November 6, 2025

Congress workers soon dug up older photos of her voting in Pune and claimed this was an example of how voters from one state voted in another.

Gandhi had made similar allegations about the Haryana elections on Thursday, claiming that a woman with multiple names had voted in 10 different booths. Congress workers shared the lawyer's photo en masse to justify those allegations.

लोकसभा में महाराष्ट्र में वोट करूंगी
विधानसभा में बिहार में वोट करूंगी
मोदी के लिए वोट चोरी करूंगी 🧐🧐 pic.twitter.com/xDrrLoXMbj

— Atul Londhe Patil (INDIA Ka Parivar)🇮🇳 (@atullondhe) November 6, 2025

"Multi-state voting is the new startup. Investor: BJP. Product: Fake mandate," said Reshma Alam, a Congress social media coordinator. "I will vote in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha. I will vote in Bihar in the Vidhan Sabha. I will steal votes for Modi," read a sarcastic post by Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil.

Even Congress allies in Bihar took turns in bashing the government.

"In 2024, madam voted in Maharashtra, and in 2025, she vote in Bihar. She openly wrote she wants to build "Modi's" India. They have sold off all their shame and modesty! Just look at their arrogance. When you ask them anything, madam will say, "The system is ours!" The whole system runs for the BJP folks like earthworms," said Priyanka Bharti, an RJD spokesperson.

Okay, this was just for motivation.
I never said I voted *today*
I said I Voted.
And everone knows it was in Maharashtra. So Calm down!

Motivated enough?
Now your turn, Bihar. Go Vote!!

— Urrmi (@Urrmi_) November 6, 2025

The lawyer later clarified that her post was only aimed at motivating voters in Bihar and that she never claimed to have voted there. "This was just for motivation. I never said I voted *today*. I said I voted. And everyone knows it was in Maharashtra. So, calm down! Motivated enough? Now your turn, Bihar. Go vote," said Urrmi.

Brazilian's Pic Went Viral

Earlier, a Brazilian woman's photo had gone viral after Rahul Gandhi claimed it was used in 22 entries in the Haryana voter list. The photo later turned out to be of Larissa Nery, a hairdresser. She had posed for a photographer friend eight years back, unaware that the picture would become the epicentre of a massive political row miles away in another country.

Speaking to NDTV, Nery said she initially thought it was a "bad joke" but got scared when she understood the controversy.

"Initially, I thought it was funny when I saw the video with my picture in the background. But when I understood what was happening, I got scared. Now I don't know what to do because I'm unsure of what people are doing with my image. I just can't understand these memes they are making with my photo, as I don't know the language," Larissa told NDTV.

The photograph is available for free download on Unsplash, Pexels, and other stock photography websites.