New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday said its agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would continue until what it described as an overhaul of the electoral system, asserting that even Kumar’s resignation would not bring the campaign to an end.
CJP co-convener Saurav Das said the organisation and its supporters would continue their mobilisation even if Kumar resigned, arguing that broader changes were needed in the electoral system. The group has announced a major protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10.
The CJP and several student organisations also appealed for wider participation in the upcoming protest, urging people from different parts of the country to travel to Delhi and prepare for what they described as a prolonged agitation.
CJP calls for wider mobilisation
At a joint press conference in New Delhi, representatives of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), joined the CJP in calling for mobilisation.
Das appealed to supporters to join the October 10 demonstration, saying the campaign would require sustained participation.
The CJP has formally informed the Delhi Police about the proposed protest at Jantar Mantar. Das said organisers submitted a letter at Parliament Street police station along with an undertaking and other required formalities.
He objected to describing the communication as a request for police “permission”, saying organisers had submitted an intimation and would cooperate with the police during the demonstration.
The CJP had earlier announced the October 10 protest after its October 2 demonstration in Mumbai, where supporters demanded Kumar’s resignation over allegations concerning electoral roll revisions.
Demands include freeze on SIR
Das said the protesters were seeking several measures, including Kumar’s resignation, criminal proceedings against him, a freeze on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a halt to upcoming elections, restoration of the January 2025 voters’ list and an independent inquiry.
The organisation has also called for the repeal of the 2023 law governing appointments to the Election Commission and an independent mechanism for selecting election commissioners.
The demands come amid a wider political dispute over the SIR exercise and allegations concerning the deletion or exclusion of voters from electoral rolls. The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected allegations of wrongdoing, while opposition parties and campaign groups have continued to raise concerns over the electoral revision process.
Student groups back INDIA bloc protest
AISA president Neha Bora said there was no divide between the student-led mobilisation and protests being organised by Opposition parties against the Election Commission.
Bora also backed the October 6 march by INDIA bloc MPs towards the Election Commission office, arguing that elected representatives had a responsibility to raise public concerns and defend people’s rights.
The October 6 protest was followed by another demonstration in Delhi on October 7, during which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several Opposition lawmakers were detained by police while attempting to proceed towards the designated protest site.
The CJP and student organisations described the two streams of mobilisation as part of a wider campaign concerning electoral accountability and democratic institutions.
CJP says differences will not split campaign
The call for a united campaign comes after an online dispute between the CJP and sections aligned with the Congress.
Das, however, said the organisations involved remained united despite differences in political affiliations and ideologies. He characterised the campaign as a broader effort to seek changes to what the group considers shortcomings in the electoral system.
The CJP’s campaign has expanded since its earlier agitation over the NEET paper leak. It has now shifted its focus to the Election Commission and the SIR exercise, with demonstrations and mobilisation programmes being planned in several parts of the country.
October 10 protest expected to intensify campaign
The CJP has called on people from across the country to participate in the October 10 demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The organisation has said the protest will be peaceful while maintaining that its campaign will continue until its broader electoral reform demands are addressed.
SFI representative Adarsh Shaji accused the Chief Election Commissioner of undermining Indian democracy and described the confrontation as a contest between “democracy and autocracy”, reflecting the strong political language being used by the campaigners.
The October 10 mobilisation is expected to be the next major stage of the CJP-led campaign against the Election Commission and its handling of electoral roll revisions. Earlier protests in Mumbai and Delhi have already drawn participation from student groups, activists and political supporters.
The Election Commission controversy has also become a significant point of confrontation between the government and Opposition parties, with competing claims over the integrity and implementation of the electoral roll revision process. The CJP’s latest announcement indicates that the campaign intends to continue beyond the immediate demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.