NEW DELHI: India’s “Cockroach” youth movement on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of manipulating voter lists to influence elections, and threatened nationwide protests unless Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns within 48 hours.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke issued the ultimatum at a news conference in New Delhi, saying the youth-led movement would begin a nationwide protest if Kumar did not step down within the deadline. The youth movement has also called for action over the Election Commission’s ongoing revision of electoral rolls.
If CEC Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign in 48 hours, we will start a nationwide agitation.
Gyanesh Kumar Isteefa Do! pic.twitter.com/mzsU8i5pft
— Cockroach Janta Party – CJP (@Cockroachisback) September 24, 2026
The move followed an investigation by The Indian Express reporting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised questions or recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months about decisions taken by the poll panel, including issues linked to the revision of voter lists.
Why are the questions asked to the Election Commission being answered by BJP’s Sambit Patra?
Either Sambit Patra should take over the Election Commission, or Gyanesh Kumar should join the BJP. pic.twitter.com/VcDx3YwoMZ
— Cockroach Janta Party – CJP (@Cockroachisback) September 24, 2026
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions that the reported disagreements showed a breakdown in its functioning. It said differing views, written observations and internal checks were a normal part of institutional deliberations and maintained that decisions taken by the commission had been unanimous.
We’re putting forward 3 clear demands:
1. Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and initiation of criminal proceedings against him.
2. Freeze SIR & restore the January 2025 voter list.
3. Repeal the 2023 law & reform the Election Commission. pic.twitter.com/4zELnMymfw
— Cockroach Janta Party – CJP (@Cockroachisback) September 24, 2026
The three-member Election Commission is an autonomous constitutional body. Kumar is its most senior member and serves as chief election commissioner.
Opposition steps up pressure
The controversy has intensified criticism from opposition parties, which have for years accused the Election Commission of failing to act impartially and have alleged irregularities in the preparation and revision of voter lists.
The main opposition Congress party has announced protest marches at election offices across India on Friday.
It is demanding Kumar’s removal, his arrest and an independent review of decisions and voter-list changes made during his tenure.
Opposition parties have alleged that millions of names were removed from electoral rolls without adequate warning and that new voters were added without proper verification in ways that could benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said on Wednesday that neither the Election Commission nor other constitutional bodies were under “dictatorial rule”.
Cockroach movement renews protest campaign
Dipke said the CJP would not withdraw its demand until Kumar resigned. He also accused the Election Commission under Kumar of undermining voting rights and manipulating electoral rolls.
The CJP has separately demanded that upcoming elections be put on hold and that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls be halted or rolled back.
The group emerged as a youth movement using a satirical reference to Modi’s BJP. It gained prominence during student demonstrations in July over allegations of examination-paper leaks. Those protests were followed by the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to reports.
The latest dispute comes as the Election Commission faces heightened scrutiny over its nationwide SIR exercise. The Indian Express reported that the process, which began in Bihar in June 2025, has resulted in more than 13 crore names being struck from draft voter rolls across 30 states and Union territories.
