Abhijeet Dipke calls for ‘Chalo Delhi’ campaign after Mumbai demonstration over alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revision
Mumbai, Oct 2026 : Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has announced a fresh protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, escalating the group’s campaign over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The announcement came on Friday night after Dipke led a large demonstration at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, where thousands gathered despite police denying permission for the protest. Dipke said supporters from across the country would travel to Delhi for what he described as a peaceful agitation and appealed to citizens concerned about free and fair elections to participate.
Addressing the Mumbai gathering, Dipke had earlier warned of “Jantar Mantar 2.0” if Kumar did not step down and called for a “Chalo Delhi” campaign. He said the proposed demonstration would follow the principles of non-violence associated with Mahatma Gandhi.
The CJP has demanded Kumar’s resignation and called for criminal proceedings against him. The organisation has also sought the restoration or freezing of earlier electoral rolls and changes to the legal framework governing the appointment of Election Commissioners. CJP leaders have linked these demands to their objections to the SIR exercise.
During his address, Dipke alleged that large numbers of voters had been removed from electoral rolls and claimed that the process had benefited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He claimed that 13 crore voters had been deleted over two years and alleged that additions and deletions had influenced electoral outcomes in several states, including Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. These claims are allegations made by the CJP and have not been independently established.
Dipke also criticised the proposal for simultaneous elections, alleging that its broader objective was “One Nation, One Election, One Party”. He said Maharashtra had been chosen as the starting point of the CJP campaign because the organisation believed alleged electoral-roll irregularities had emerged there.
The Mumbai protest drew participation from several prominent personalities, including actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, singer-composer Vishal Dadlani and Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi. Student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India and All India Students’ Federation, also participated.
Protesters carried the national flag and raised slogans demanding Kumar’s resignation, while placards focused on the Election Commission and the SIR process. Some participants used unconventional props and slogans, while groups from Pune brought musical instruments to the gathering.
Held on Gandhi Jayanti, the demonstration featured references to Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and simplicity, as well as tributes to Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Songs, including the title track of Rang De Basanti and A.R. Rahman’s Vande Mataram, were also played during the event.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) extended support to the agitation. Local MLA Mahesh Sawant said party leader Aaditya Thackeray could not attend because he was unwell.
CJP co-convener Saurav Das criticised the handling of protesters during an earlier Jantar Mantar agitation, while Left activist Shailesh Kamble said several Left-affiliated organisations participated in the Mumbai demonstration.
The latest announcement comes amid an ongoing political controversy over the Election Commission’s SIR exercise. The Commission has faced criticism from opposition parties and protest groups, while it has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that major decisions relating to electoral-roll revision were taken according to established procedures.
The proposed October 10 demonstration would take the CJP’s campaign from Mumbai to the national capital, with Dipke saying the group intends to maintain a peaceful protest while continuing to demand changes in the functioning of the Election Commission.
