Key facts
- India's Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faces calls for resignation from the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and other activist groups.
- Protesters allege manipulation of voter rolls and seek electoral reforms, claiming the process favors Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
- The CJP plans to protest in Mumbai on Friday and expand demonstrations nationwide.
- Two election commissioners reportedly raised concerns multiple times over voter-list revisions and commission procedures.
- The Election Commission stated that differing views are normal and all actions are lawful and taken unanimously.
- Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee have accused the commission of 'vote theft'.
India's influential Gen Z-led 'Cockroach Janata Party' (CJP) is organizing protests seeking electoral reforms and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The group alleges manipulation of voter rolls, claiming that the process is being used to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The CJP, which began as a satirical online movement, previously forced education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. They have called for supporters to gather at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Friday to protest and demand CEC Kumar's resignation. Mumbai police have denied permission for the CJP's protest, but organizers insist they will assemble.
Recent reports in The Indian Express indicated that two other election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had formally objected multiple times over 10 months to decisions issued without their knowledge, primarily concerning a controversial revision of electoral rolls. The Election Commission stated that 'differing views' are part of the decision-making process and all decisions are taken unanimously.
Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee, have accused the commission of 'vote theft.' The INDIA alliance, an opposition grouping, plans further protest rallies and a march to the Election Commission office in Delhi on October 6.