NEW DELHI: India’s youth-led political pressure group, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has backed an opposition alliance rally planned for November 1 to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over irregularities in a controversial revision of electoral rolls.
The move marks a shift in strategy for the CJP, which had previously run a parallel campaign to that of the opposition INDIA bloc, led by the Indian National Congress (INC), despite sharing concerns over the voter list revision.
In a statement published on X by its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP said it would support any organisation fighting for free and fair elections in India, including the opposition alliance.
“Gyanesh Kumar has lost the trust required to oversee free and fair elections. His resignation is therefore necessary to restore the credibility and independence of the Election Commission,” the statement said.
GYANU MUST GO! The Cockroach Janta Party extends its support to the INDIA Bloc’s November 1 rally. Nation above all! #JaiBhim #JaiHind https://t.co/jbSsRQeHEw
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 28, 2026
The youth-led movement added that the Constitution guaranteed every adult citizen the right to vote and that no eligible voter should be deprived of that right.
Dipke said in his post that the CJP supported the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally, adding: “Nation above all!”
Dispute Over Voter Roll Revision
The controversy centres on the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which began in 2025 to remove redundancies, including the names of deceased voters and people registered more than once.
More than 130 million names have been deleted from voter lists since the exercise began, according to Indian media reports.
Election authorities say the deletions include people who have died, moved away or appeared more than once on the rolls. Critics, however, argue that the scale of the removals raises concerns that eligible voters may also have been excluded.
Opposition parties have alleged irregularities in the process and questioned Kumar’s role in benefiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The CJP, student organisations and opposition parties have been protesting against the revisions and electoral irregularities for more than a month.
Opposition Plans Impeachment
Meanwhile, opposition alliance leaders have finalised plans for symbolic “public impeachment” proceedings against Kumar, local media reported.
The decision was taken at a meeting on Thursday at the residence of INC president Mallikarjun Kharge, who was in Bengaluru at the time, according to the reports.
The opposition plans to hold a mock parliamentary sitting at Kharge’s residence on Friday.
The proceedings are expected to include speeches by opposition leaders, accounts from people affected by the electoral roll revision, a motion passed by Kharge and a concluding address by Rahul Gandhi, a senior INC leader.
The symbolic exercise is intended to build pressure for Kumar’s removal ahead of the November 1 rally.
On Tuesday, the INC said it had been denied permission to hold the event at several venues, the Hindustan Times reported. The party accused the government of trying to silence ordinary citizens after destroying the electoral system.
CJP Leaders Face Protest Restrictions
The CJP and the INC have so far pursued separate campaigns despite making similar demands. Their latest alignment could broaden the opposition mobilisation against the election chief and challenge PM Modi.
Earlier this month, CJP leaders were detained and arrested during protests and made to sign bonds prohibiting them from calling for mass demonstrations in central Delhi.
Under Indian law, the chief election commissioner can be removed by Parliament through a process similar to that used to remove a Supreme Court judge. The commissioner may also resign by submitting a written resignation to the President.
