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EYE ON INDIA OCTOBER 09, 2026 | The Indian Eye 10

Can CJP bring people

back to the streets?

With a nationwide protest planned and support from Maharashtra’s opposition

leaders, the Cockroach Janta Party is testing whether anger over the Election
Commission can be converted into a broader street movement.

OUR BUREAU
New Delhi / Mumbai
he Cockroach Janta Party
(CJP), a political pressure
Tgroup that has emerged around
allegations concerning the function-
ing of the Election Commission and
the electoral process, is preparing for
its biggest mobilisation yet. Its found-
er Abhijeet Dipke has announced
a nationwide “Jail Bharo Andolan”
from Mumbai on October 2, raising a
larger question: can the relatively new
organisation turn its campaign into a
mass movement?
The timing is significant. The
CJP’s announcement comes amid a
widening political dispute over the
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of
electoral rolls and demands for the
resignation of Chief Election Com- Cockroach Janta Party Founder Abhijeet Dipke addresses a press conference at the Press Club, in Mumbai on Thursday (ANI Photo)
missioner Gyanesh Kumar. The issue
has already moved beyond the CJP, with a wider opposition mobilisation. concerning elections. Park and advised the organisers to
with opposition parties raising ques- But the two protests are separate That shift could be crucial. A seek an alternative venue.
tions about the Election Commission events, and their ability to draw large movement built entirely around the For the CJP, therefore, October
and the electoral process. numbers will depend on organisation- Election Commission would have 2 will be about more than slogans
Dipke said the protest would al capacity, participation by political to persuade people that electoral or arrests. It will be an early test of
begin at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on parties and the extent to which elec- issues are sufficiently important to whether its campaign can move from
Gandhi Jayanti and appealed to polit- toral concerns resonate with ordinary bring them onto the streets. By link- social-media visibility and political
ical parties to join the agitation. He al- voters. ing its campaign with local concerns, controversy to sustained public par-
leged that the Election Commission’s The CJP has been attempting to the CJP appears to be attempting to ticipation.
functioning was not in the national in- build that organisation outside Maha- broaden its appeal. India has a long history of polit-
terest and argued that collective action rashtra. Its recent experience in As- The organisation has already ical movements that have combined
was needed to bring about change. sam illustrates both its ambitions and made strong claims about the elec- electoral issues with street mobilisa-
The CJP’s immediate challenge, the difficulties ahead. toral process. Ranka alleged that tion. But large protests require more
however, is not simply to organise a Several CJP leaders and vol- more than 13 crore people had been than a prominent announcement.
protest but to demonstrate that it can unteers were detained in Guwahati removed from electoral rolls and They need local organisers, networks,
attract people beyond its existing net- shortly before a planned regional questioned the process of redrawing sustained messaging and participa-
work of supporters. meeting. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh electoral boundaries in Assam. Those tion across social and political groups.
It has received an important boost Ranka alleged that the detentions claims have not been independently The CJP has secured one import-
in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Navnir- were intended to intimidate the or- established in the material available. ant ingredient: political attention. It
man Sena chief Raj Thackeray and ganisation and claimed that police of- The dispute over permission for now has to establish whether that at-
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thac- ficials did not provide a reason for the the Mumbai protest has added anoth- tention can be converted into people
keray announced a joint protest march action. Assam Police has not, in the er dimension. Dipke had earlier said on the streets.
against the Election Commission on material provided, offered a detailed Mumbai Police had denied permis- The October 2 mobilisation may
October 4, from Byculla to the BMC public explanation for the detentions. sion for the October 2 gathering and provide the first clear indication of
headquarters. Raj Thackeray also said Ranka subsequently said the or- threatened a “Jail Bharo Andolan”. whether the CJP can build a broad-
the MNS would support the CJP’s ganisation would expand its activities Mumbai Police subsequently clarified er public movement—or whether its
proposed “Jail Bharo” movement. across Assam and other northeastern that, under a Bombay High Court or- campaign will remain largely con-
That support gives the CJP an states, taking up student, youth and der, it was not empowered to grant fined to its existing supporters and
opportunity to connect its campaign local issues alongside its campaign permission for gatherings at Shivaji political allies.

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