The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has given Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar 48 hours to resign, warning that it will launch nationwide protests if he remains in office, as controversy grows over the Election Commission’s handling of revisions to India’s electoral rolls.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke issued the ultimatum at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday, accusing Kumar of undermining India’s democratic process and alleging that changes to electoral rolls have benefited the ruling BJP. The allegations have not been established as fact, and the Election Commission has rejected claims that its decisions were improperly made or politically motivated.
The CJP’s intervention follows an Indian Express investigation reporting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period to issues involving voter registration, deletion of names, changes to Form 6 and access to electoral-roll databases. The report said more than 13 crore names have been removed from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories during the Special Intensive Revision process.
The Election Commission has disputed suggestions of an internal rift. Officials said all final decisions of the three-member commission, including those concerning the SIR, were unanimous and approved by Kumar, Sandhu and Joshi. The commission has maintained that individual views raised during deliberations should not be treated as evidence that final decisions lacked the commissioners’ approval.
The CJP outlined three principal demands: Kumar’s resignation and an investigation into decisions made under his leadership; an immediate suspension of the SIR and upcoming elections while an independent inquiry is conducted; and repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. The group also wants electoral rolls restored to their January 2025 position and SIR-related records placed under Supreme Court custody.
Dipke said the organization would begin a nationwide agitation and later mobilize supporters in Delhi if Kumar does not resign within the 48-hour deadline. The dispute has added to broader political scrutiny of the Election Commission and its electoral-roll revision process.
