CJP to Launch Nationwide Protest From October 2, Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is set to begin a nationwide protest campaign from October 2, with founder Abhijeet Dipke demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over what the party alleges are irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Dipke said the campaign will begin with a protest in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti before being expanded to other parts of the country. According to the latest announcement, the agitation is also expected to reach Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where the party plans to continue its campaign.

CJP Lists Three Key Demands

The party has outlined three principal demands. It wants Gyanesh Kumar to resign as CEC, the 2025 electoral roll to be frozen and elections to be conducted using that roll, and a more transparent process for appointing the next Election Commissioner.

Dipke has also called for civil society participation in the selection process for future Election Commissioners, arguing that the appointment mechanism should be more transparent and independent.

The protest plans come amid a wider controversy surrounding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

SIR Row Adds to Election Commission Debate

An investigation by The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period regarding decisions and procedures connected with the SIR exercise. The report said some objections concerned voter enrolment, deletion of names and electoral data procedures.

The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion of a breakdown in its functioning. Officials said decisions, including those related to SIR, had the approval of all three Election Commissioners and were taken unanimously.

The controversy has also reached the Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear a petition challenging aspects of the functioning of the poll panel and the SIR process.

With CJP beginning its planned agitation on October 2, the dispute over electoral-roll revisions and the functioning of the Election Commission is set to remain a significant public issue.