New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Friday reiterated its demand for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar to resign immediately, warning that it will launch a nationwide agitation from Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti if he fails to step down.

In a statement posted on X, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke warned that unless Kumar resigns by Saturday, the youth-led political outfit will take its protests to cities across India starting 2 October. The warning follows a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the party on Thursday in New Delhi, where leaders launched the "Election Commission Thik Karo" campaign.

Dipke also urged opposition parties to boycott future elections entirely, arguing that contesting manipulated polls merely legitimises a compromised system. "Yes, elections are being rigged. But when you continue to participate in rigged elections, you legitimise these elections and help maintain the illusion that they are free and fair," Dipke stated.

Allegations of massive voter exclusion

The CJP’s campaign centres on the deletion of over 13 crore (130 million) names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The party highlighted significant exclusions across major states, including over 2 crore names in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 1 crore in Karnataka, 97 lakh in Tamil Nadu, 90 lakh in West Bengal, 73 lakh in Telangana, 47 lakh in Delhi, and 24 lakh in Kerala.

Dipke accused poll officials of deciding who can vote, calling Kumar "the biggest threat to Indian democracy". "Democracy means that people choose their government. This is not democracy, this is autocracy," Dipke said, demanding criminal proceedings against the poll chief.

Comparing rigged elections to a fixed cricket match, Dipke explained how minor concessions keep opposition parties involved. "Just like in a fixed match, not every catch is dropped," he noted. "You will be handed a few wins, just enough to keep you contesting... Those few wins are the crumbs that keep you in the game and make the whole thing look legitimate," Dipke added.

Key demands and youth mobilisation

The party presented several major demands, including an independent inquiry into SIR decisions and the immediate restoration of deleted voters. The CJP also requested that all relevant SIR records be submitted to the Supreme Court or a judicially supervised panel. Furthermore, it urged the Election Commission to publish internal objection notes written by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who reportedly raised objections 14 times over the past 10 months. Election Commission sources maintained that all SIR decisions were taken unanimously.

Addressing the impact on young voters, CJP co-convener Saurav Das alleged a deliberate attempt to stop youth participation. "This government feels Gen Z is not in its favour, so it is not adding them to the voters list," Das said. Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka urged citizens to mobilise, declaring, "We need to hit the streets and fight for our right".