New Delhi | September 24, 2026 (SDNA)
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation over the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday that if Kumar does not step down within the deadline, the organisation will launch protests across the country. He said the proposed agitation would continue until the party’s demands are addressed.
Three-Point Demand Charter
The CJP has put forward three broad sets of demands.
First, it has called for Kumar’s resignation within 48 hours and demanded criminal proceedings in connection with what it alleges were irregularities in the electoral-roll process. The group has also sought an explanation regarding who authorised the decisions it disputes.
Second, the organisation wants upcoming elections put on hold until its concerns are examined. It has demanded an immediate suspension of the SIR exercise, restoration of electoral rolls to their January 2025 status and the creation of an independent commission to investigate SIR-related actions. It has also called for judicial intervention concerning records connected with the revision exercise.
Third, the CJP has demanded repeal of the 2023 legislation governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. It has proposed a new appointment framework involving civil-society participation and a selection process that, in its view, would command greater public confidence.
Nationwide Protest Threat
Dipke said the organisation would begin demonstrations in Delhi if Kumar did not resign within 48 hours and would subsequently expand the agitation nationally.
The announcement comes amid a wider political dispute over the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll revisions. The controversy intensified after an Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally recorded objections at least 14 times over a 10-month period regarding various decisions and orders.
What Triggered the Controversy?
According to the investigation, the objections covered issues including voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, changes to Form 6 and concerns over access to electoral-roll databases. The report said some objections related to decisions that the two commissioners believed had been taken without their knowledge.
The development has prompted demands from several opposition leaders for greater accountability from the Election Commission, including calls for action against the CEC.
Election Commission Rejects Claims of Internal Breakdown
The Election Commission has disputed the interpretation that the reported objections demonstrate a breakdown within the poll panel. According to Election Commission sources cited by Hindustan Times, decisions relating to SIR and other matters were approved unanimously by the three-member Commission.
The reported differences therefore remain part of a broader political and institutional dispute, with critics questioning the decision-making process while the Election Commission maintains that its final decisions were taken through the established institutional mechanism.
CJP Says Protest Will Continue
With its 48-hour deadline, the CJP has added another layer to the growing public debate surrounding SIR, voter-list revisions and the functioning of the Election Commission.
For now, the organisation’s proposed nationwide agitation remains a stated political programme. Whether the ultimatum leads to protests will depend on developments over the next 48 hours.
(SDNA)