Cockroach Janta Party leaders have threatened to launch nationwide protests if India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign within 48 hours, adding to mounting political controversy surrounding the country’s election authority and changes to voter lists. The ultimatum was issued on Thursday, September 24, after a report raised questions about disagreements among senior officials of the Election Commission of India over decisions concerning electoral rolls.
Cockroach Janta Party issues 48-hour ultimatum
The Cockroach Janta Party, a youth movement led by founder Abhijeet Dipke, announced that it would begin a nationwide agitation if Kumar does not step down within the specified period. Dipke made the announcement at a press conference in New Delhi, where the group called for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
The demand follows a report by The Indian Express that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised questions or expressed concerns on at least 14 occasions over a period of 10 months. According to the report cited by Reuters, many of the disagreements concerned the process of updating voter lists that began last year.
Kumar is the senior-most of India’s three election commissioners and serves as the Chief Election Commissioner. Sandhu and Joshi did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment regarding the reported disagreements.
Election Commission of India rejects concerns over internal differences
The Election Commission of India has defended its decision-making process, saying that differences of opinion among commissioners are a normal part of institutional deliberation. The commission also said that its actions were lawful.
The statement came after the report of disagreements prompted renewed criticism from opposition parties. Reuters reported that the commission did not immediately respond to a further request for comment on Thursday.
The dispute has therefore centred not only on the reported disagreements among election commissioners but also on wider allegations concerning the management of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have alleged that voters were removed from electoral lists without adequate warning and that new names were added without sufficient verification. They have further alleged that such changes benefited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, although the BJP and the Election Commission have rejected allegations of partisan conduct.
Nationwide protests in India could follow
The Cockroach youth movement’s announcement comes as opposition parties have also announced demonstrations. India’s main opposition Congress Party said it would hold protest marches at election offices across the country on Friday, demanding Kumar’s removal, his arrest and an independent review of decisions and changes to voter lists made during his tenure.
The proposed demonstrations come amid a broader political dispute over the functioning of the Indian election commission. The BJP has defended the Election Commission and rejected accusations of bias, with party spokesperson Sambit Patra saying that constitutional institutions were functioning democratically.
The Cockroach Janta Party’s latest announcement also follows demonstrations organised by the movement earlier this year. Reuters reported that those protests were linked to an exam-paper leak controversy and preceded the resignation of India’s education minister, although the current dispute concerns the Election Commission and electoral rolls rather than education policy.
Gyanesh Kumar resignation demand adds to election controversy
The demand for a Gyanesh Kumar resignation comes at a politically sensitive time for India’s electoral institutions. The reported disagreements between the commissioners have intensified scrutiny of how decisions affecting voter registration, deletion and restoration of names are made.
For now, the Election Commission maintains that differing views among its members are part of its ordinary decision-making process and that its actions have complied with the law. Opposition parties, meanwhile, continue to question the handling of voter lists and the commission’s independence.
Whether the Cockroach Janta Party proceeds with nationwide protests will depend on whether Kumar responds to the 48-hour ultimatum. The immediate dispute has placed renewed attention on the Election Commission of India, the management of electoral rolls and the institutional process through which India’s election officials make decisions.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, September 24th, 2026
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