CJP's Nationwide Protest From October 2 If CEC Gyanesh Kumar Doesn't Resign: Abhijeet Dipke

New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced that it will launch a nationwide protest from October 2 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by Saturday, September 26.

CJP founder and national convener Abhijeet Dipke announced the plan on Friday, saying the protest would begin in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti and subsequently be taken to cities across the country.

“If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by tomorrow, CJP will begin its nationwide protest from Mumbai on 2 October, and take it to cities across India,” Dipke said in a post on X.

Why is CJP demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation?

The announcement follows CJP's demand on September 24 that Kumar resign within 48 hours. Dipke and other party representatives accused the Election Commission of undermining voters' rights and questioned aspects of the electoral process.

These are CJP's allegations and political demands, not findings established by a court or an investigative agency.

The controversy comes amid reports of differences within the three-member Election Commission concerning electoral-roll management and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

What is the October 2 protest plan?

According to Dipke, the proposed agitation will start in Mumbai on October 2, which is Gandhi Jayanti, and then move to other cities across India.

CJP has described the planned campaign as a nationwide protest. The group had earlier referred to a possible “Jantar Mantar 2.0” agitation if its resignation demand was not met.

The latest announcement therefore extends the earlier 48-hour ultimatum into a specific protest date.

What are CJP's other demands?

The resignation demand is part of a broader set of demands announced by CJP amid the ECI controversy.

The group has called for:

• The resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar

• A freeze on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls

• A halt to upcoming elections

• Repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners

CJP had also raised concerns about voter rights and the functioning of the electoral system.

What is the ECI's position?

The Election Commission has maintained that differences of opinion, written observations and objections during internal deliberations are part of the functioning of a multi-member constitutional body.

The ECI has also said that its final decisions, including decisions concerning SIR, were taken unanimously. Reports about objections by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have nevertheless triggered a wider political debate over the functioning of the poll panel.

What happens after September 26?

CJP has set September 26 as the deadline for Kumar's resignation. If he remains in office, Dipke says the party will begin its protest campaign in Mumbai on October 2 and subsequently take it to other cities.

Whether the proposed nationwide protests take place as announced will depend on developments over the coming days.

For now, the dispute remains centred on competing claims about the functioning of the Election Commission, the SIR exercise and the role of its three members.

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CJP Protest From Oct 2 If Gyanesh Kumar Doesn't Resign: Dipke