The capital turned into a political battleground on Monday as the INDIA bloc’s high-voltage “vote chori” protest against the Election Commission of India spiralled into scenes of chaos, detentions, and medical emergencies. In a dramatic moment that stunned onlookers, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra collapsed mid-protest, prompting Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to rush to her aid.

The protest march, led by Rahul Gandhi from Parliament’s Makar Dwar towards Nirvachan Sadan, accused the Election Commission of enabling “voter theft” during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and manipulating electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Chants of “vote chor” echoed through the air as police barricades brought the procession to a grinding halt.

As officers moved in, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and dozens of MPs were detained. Viral videos showed Rahul Gandhi offering chocolates to Mahua Moitra inside a police bus after she regained consciousness. TMC’s Derek O’Brien confirmed she had fainted during the protest, while party MP Sagarika Ghose shared footage of her being attended to by colleagues. Another TMC leader, Mitali Bagh, also collapsed amid the standoff, and Congress MP Sanjana Jatav was rushed to RML Hospital after fainting.

The day’s drama was not without defiance — TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Sushmita Dev were earlier seen scaling barricades before being stopped, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav vaulted over a police blockade in a show of defiance.

Unfazed by the crackdown, Rahul Gandhi declared before being taken away: “This fight is not political. It is to save the Constitution. The truth is in front of the country. We demand a clean and pure voters list.”