Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, warning of protests across the country and an indefinite sit-in at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar from the end of October if he did not step down.

Speaking at the Mumbai Press Club, Dipke said the CJP would hold a protest at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on October 2, despite the police denying permission. He said the party was prepared to face arrest and would continue its protests.

CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde said demonstrations would be held in Goa, Bengaluru, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Patna and Ranchi before the proposed protest at Jantar Mantar.

Dipke said the CJP would not participate in the Opposition’s October 6 protest against the Election Commission, maintaining that his party would remain an independent movement. However, he welcomed the efforts of the INDIA alliance and called on citizens to raise concerns about alleged election rigging.

Dipke also called for transparency in the appointment of the CEC, including the involvement of civil society. He demanded that the 2025 voter list be frozen to prevent further changes.

Opposition parties have criticised Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and sought his resignation following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections to decisions and orders on at least 14 occasions over 10 months. Some objections reportedly concerned decisions issued without their knowledge.

The Election Commission subsequently clarified that all three members of the commission had taken decisions, including those relating to the SIR, unanimously.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT) have announced a protest march against the Election Commission in Mumbai on October 4.

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