The Cockroach Janta Party has announced plans for nationwide protests from October 2 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by Saturday. The announcement comes amid a controversy over reported differences within the Election Commission regarding electoral-roll revision, voter data and related decisions.
New Delhi, Sept 2026 : The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced that it will launch nationwide protests from October 2 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by Saturday, escalating its earlier 48-hour ultimatum to the Election Commission chief.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Friday that the proposed agitation would begin in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti and subsequently spread to cities across the country. In a post on X, Dipke said the party would begin its nationwide protest if Kumar did not step down by September 26.
“This Gandhi Jayanti, let's pledge to save democracy,” Dipke said while announcing the protest plan. The Indian Express and other media outlets reported the CJP's announcement on Friday.
The development comes a day after the CJP demanded Kumar's resignation within 48 hours and warned that it would launch a nationwide agitation if he remained in office.
At a press conference on Thursday, Dipke, accompanied by CJP co-convener Saurav Das and other party representatives, accused the Election Commission of undermining voters' rights. He alleged that decisions taken under Kumar's leadership had affected the functioning of the electoral system and questioned aspects of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Dipke used strong language against the CEC, accusing him of undermining India's democratic system and calling for his immediate resignation. These are political allegations made by the CJP and have not been established as findings against Kumar.
The CJP's campaign comes against the backdrop of reports of internal differences within the Election Commission concerning electoral-roll management. An Indian Express investigation, subsequently reported by several media organisations, said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on multiple occasions over a 10-month period. The reported issues included aspects of voter additions, deletions and restoration, changes involving Form 6 and access to electoral-roll databases.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected suggestions of an institutional breakdown. The poll panel has maintained that differing views, written observations and internal discussions are a normal part of deliberations within a multi-member constitutional body and that its decisions were ultimately unanimous.
The controversy over SIR has become a wider political issue, with several Opposition leaders questioning the manner in which electoral rolls are being revised and raising concerns about possible exclusion of eligible voters. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to update and verify electoral rolls and that its procedures are governed by law.
CJP leaders have gone beyond the SIR controversy, arguing that the wider electoral system requires fundamental changes. Co-convener Saurav Das said during Thursday's press conference that the present system needed reform and alleged that young voters were particularly concerned about the functioning of the electoral process.
The organisation has also criticised political parties that continue to participate in elections while raising allegations about the electoral process. Dipke has argued that opposition parties should not merely contest elections but should also raise questions about the functioning of the system.
The planned October 2 protest would begin in Mumbai, according to Dipke, before being taken to other cities. The date coincides with Gandhi Jayanti, which the CJP has sought to frame as an occasion to highlight its campaign for what it describes as the protection of democracy.
For now, the immediate focus is on the CJP's September 26 deadline for Kumar's resignation and whether the organisation proceeds with its proposed nationwide mobilisation on October 2.
The Election Commission has not indicated that Kumar intends to resign in response to the CJP's demand. The poll panel's position remains that internal deliberations and differing observations do not amount to a breakdown in decision-making, while the CJP continues to press its allegations and demand changes in the electoral system.
The proposed protest therefore adds another layer to the ongoing political controversy surrounding SIR, electoral-roll management and the functioning of the Election Commission.
