CJP Sets October 10 Delhi Showdown Over Electoral Rolls, Seeks Gyanesh Kumar’s Exit

NEW DELHI: A fresh confrontation is taking shape in the capital over the controversy surrounding the revision of electoral rolls, with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) preparing to take its campaign to Delhi on October 10.

The organisation has announced a march towards Jantar Mantar and is seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

CJP leaders have indicated that restrictions on the proposed gathering will not persuade them to abandon the demonstration.

Ashutosh Ranka, one of the group’s co-conveners, said the protesters would continue their march until they were stopped by authorities.

If prevented from reaching Jantar Mantar, he said, the group would hold its demonstration at the location where police halted them.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of mounting criticism and political disagreement over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The exercise has become a major point of contention, with opponents questioning aspects of the voter-list revision process while election authorities have defended the exercise.

For CJP, the October 10 mobilisation represents a new phase of its campaign.

The organisation previously became prominent in Delhi after holding a prolonged protest at Jantar Mantar over the NEET examination controversy and demanding the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

This time, however, the focus has shifted from competitive examinations to the electoral process.

Leaders claim arrests could precede demonstration

CJP leaders are also preparing for the possibility of police action before the scheduled gathering.

Ranka has claimed that he, founder Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das could be detained before October 10.

He attributed the warning to information he said had come from intelligence and police sources as well as journalists.

The claim has not been independently established, and there has been no confirmation in the material cited that such arrests have been ordered.

Ranka has argued that removing the group’s most visible organisers would not end the campaign.

According to him, the three leaders are merely the public faces of an organisation whose supporters extend well beyond its leadership.

The CJP’s position is that its agitation will continue until its stated demands are addressed.

Ranka has described the group’s planned actions as civil disobedience and accused the Election Commission of compromising the electoral process.

Those allegations are the organisation’s stated position.

Police action could widen CJP’s demands

The group has also put the Delhi Police’s handling of the proposed demonstration at the centre of its preparations.

Ranka has warned that any use of force against demonstrators, including a lathi charge, would lead CJP to demand the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

His argument is based on the Delhi Police’s administrative relationship with the Union Home Ministry.

The warning adds another dimension to the October 10 mobilisation: what begins as a protest over the Election Commission and electoral-roll revision could, according to CJP’s stated position, expand into a campaign targeting the Union government if clashes occur.

The proposed demonstration follows other protests against Gyanesh Kumar in different parts of the country.

The dispute has intensified as opposition parties and activist groups have raised objections to aspects of SIR and its implications for electoral rolls.

Jantar Mantar once again becomes CJP’s focal point

CJP’s decision to return to Jantar Mantar is significant for the organisation because the central Delhi protest site was previously the setting for its extended NEET-related agitation.

The group’s earlier campaign lasted for more than a month and drew attention to its demands concerning the examination system.

Its new mobilisation places the Election Commission at the centre of its campaign instead.

Whether the October 10 march reaches Jantar Mantar will now depend on the response of Delhi authorities.

CJP, meanwhile, has made its position clear: it intends to demonstrate even if police prevent the march from reaching its announced destination.

The developments are being watched closely because the proposed protest comes amid a broader national dispute over electoral-roll revision, with the Election Commission facing criticism from political opponents and protest groups over SIR.