Mahua Moitra, Mitali Bagh faint during opposition's march to EC

The monsoon session of Parliament spilled onto Delhi’s streets on Monday as the opposition staged a high-decibel protest over alleged voter list irregularities and ‘vote theft’ in Bihar. Led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, around 300 MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission office, demanding answers on the ‘Single Incident Report’ (SIR) and the integrity of the voter rolls. The demonstration took a dramatic turn when Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Mitali Bagh fainted, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav jumped over a barricade in a bid to move ahead.

Delhi Police intercepted the march, citing security and law-and-order concerns, and said the Election Commission had permitted only 30 leaders to enter its premises. Tempers flared as some MPs tried to breach the barricades, accusing the government of stifling democratic rights. Congress leader K.C. Venugopal alleged that elected representatives were being denied free access to the Election Commission, calling it an attack on parliamentary freedoms.

The opposition also lashed out at the Election Commission, accusing it of avoiding questions and showing nervousness. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi claimed the poll body was “unable to answer basic queries” about the voter rolls, while Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge warned that preventing the opposition from reaching the EC amounted to a “serious threat to democracy.”

Calling the agitation a battle for the Constitution rather than a partisan fight, Rahul Gandhi said the issue was about safeguarding the principle of “one person, one vote.” He stressed the need for a clean and transparent voter list ahead of elections, while Congress MP Renuka Chaudhary questioned the sudden addition of thousands of names. The protest signalled the opposition’s intent to keep electoral integrity at the forefront of its political offensive.