Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke has announced a nationwide march to Delhi on 10 October, warning that supporters from across the country would gather at Jantar Mantar if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not step down.
In a post on X following a large protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday, Dipke said the proposed demonstration would be peaceful and called on citizens who support free and fair elections to join the agitation.
Earlier, addressing thousands of supporters at the rally, Dipke reiterated his demand for Kumar’s resignation and warned of a “Jantar Mantar 2.0” movement if the election chief remained in office.
The protest drew large crowds despite police denying permission for the event. Participants, including many young people, gathered at the historic political venue and raised slogans demanding electoral reforms.
CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde called for criminal proceedings against Kumar and demanded that voter lists prepared in 2025 be frozen. He also sought the repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners.
Dipke alleged widespread voter deletions and claimed electoral irregularities had influenced election outcomes in several states. He further alleged that millions of voters had been removed from electoral rolls over the past two years and accused authorities of manipulating voter data.
The CJP leader said Maharashtra was chosen as the starting point of the protest campaign because, according to the party, the alleged electoral irregularities originated there.
He also criticised the BJP’s proposal for simultaneous elections, alleging that the ruling party’s broader objective was to consolidate political power. Dipke further accused the BJP of attempting to weaken regional parties.
The rally was attended by several public figures, including actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj and Hansal Mehta, singer-composer Vishal Dadlani, and Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
Supporters waved national flags and displayed placards demanding Kumar’s resignation. Activists from student and political organisations also joined the demonstration, while cultural performances and musical programmes took place throughout the event.
The programme coincided with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary and featured messages promoting non-violence and democratic values, along with tributes to B R Ambedkar.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) backed the protest, while leaders from Left-affiliated organisations and student groups also participated.
Several speakers at the rally criticised the handling of previous protests by authorities and vowed to continue demonstrations until their demands are addressed.
The announcement of the proposed October 10 march comes amid an ongoing campaign by the CJP challenging the functioning of the Election Commission and alleging irregularities in voter registration and electoral processes.
