India’s Cockroach Party Demands Election Chief Resignation Over ‘Vote Theft’ Fears

India’s rapidly growing youth-led political movement, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has formally demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, labeling him the “biggest threat” to the nation’s democratic framework. Founded by Abhijeet Dipke, the group—which previously mobilized Gen Z protesters against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in July—announced that it will launch a nationwide demonstration starting October 2 unless Kumar steps down by Saturday.

The CJP’s accusations stem from a controversial “special intensive revision” (SIR) of electoral rolls initiated by the Election Commission of India last year. While officials stated the review aimed to remove duplicates and ineligible entries to ensure accurate voter lists, recent media reports indicate that millions of names were deleted from draft rolls. The party argues this process has shifted power away from citizens, effectively allowing the government to determine who is eligible to vote rather than enabling voters to choose their leadership.

Concerns have been bolstered by an investigation by the Indian Express, which revealed that two other members of the Election Commission, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, filed 14 formal complaints over the past ten months regarding discrepancies in the revision process. These filings suggest internal dissent and claims that the commissioners were kept uninformed about key decisions.

The controversy has drawn in high-profile opposition figures. Rahul Gandhi, India’s Leader of the Opposition, joined the CJP in calling for Kumar’s resignation on Thursday, reiterating long-standing allegations of “vote theft.” Local reports note that the Indian National Congress had previously opposed Kumar’s appointment as head of the election panel, arguing it was an attempt to circumvent Supreme Court scrutiny. The Election Commission members are currently appointed by a selection panel comprising the prime minister, the home minister, and the leader of the opposition.

The situation follows recent local body elections in Rajasthan, where voters waited in queues to cast ballots after verifying their identity cards, highlighting the ongoing importance of accurate electoral rolls in India’s democratic process.