India's Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party has launched nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations, which drew thousands in Mumbai and saw hundreds detained by police in New Delhi on October 2, 2026, stem from allegations that the commission's Special Intensive Revision exercise deleted over 130 million voters to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP. The crisis has intensified following reports of internal dissent among election commissioners.
Cockroach Janta Party's Mumbai protest
- ▪The Cockroach Janta Party announced that the October 2, 2026, Mumbai protest kicks off a nationwide campaign of demonstrations targeting cities including Goa, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Delhi.
- ▪The Cockroach Janta Party led thousands of protesters at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on October 2, 2026, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- ▪Prominent public figures including actors Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah, singer Vishal Dadlani, and activist Tushar Gandhi joined the Cockroach Janta Party protest in Mumbai on October 2, 2026.
- ▪The Cockroach Janta Party's principal demands include the resignation and criminal prosecution of Gyanesh Kumar, freezing the Special Intensive Revision, restoring the January 2025 voter list, and reforming the Election Commission.
Security crackdown on Delhi Protests
- ▪Delhi Police detained between 500 and 700 protesters, including former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, and AISA president Neha Bora, near Jantar Mantar on October 2, 2026.
- ▪Delhi authorities enforced Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, suspended mobile internet, and closed multiple metro stations around Jantar Mantar to block the October 2, 2026, protests.
Opposition demands and protests
- ▪Senior Indian opposition leader Mamata Banerjee demanded the arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- ▪The INDIA opposition alliance announced plans to launch nationwide protests demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation on October 6, 2026, including a march by opposition lawmakers to the Election Commission office in Delhi.
Controversy over voter roll revision
- ▪The Election Commission of India stated that the Special Intensive Revision is a lawful exercise intended to remove duplicate, deceased, or ineligible entries and ensure electoral roll accuracy.
- ▪Political analysts estimate that approximately 130 million names have been struck off India's voter lists since the Special Intensive Revision exercise began last year across 30 states and union territories.
- ▪Protesters and opposition parties allege the Election Commission manipulated voter rolls to selectively target opposition-led states and delete eligible voters to favor Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
Election Commission response
- ▪The Election Commission of India modified the Special Intensive Revision process to reduce the inconvenience caused to voters.
- ▪On October 1, 2026, the Election Commission of India directed 20 states and union territories to conduct a special drive to enroll eligible voters who were left out of the electoral rolls.
Internal commission disputes
- ▪Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar disregarded objections from his two fellow commissioners who questioned the legality of some of his decisions.
- ▪The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions made by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Origins of the Cockroach Janta Party
- ▪The Cockroach Janta Party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, emerged earlier in 2026 as a satirical online youth movement before transforming into an influential political pressure group.
- ▪In July 2026, mass protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party over leaked examination papers and unemployment forced the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Debatable claims
- ▪Gyanesh Kumar should resign as India's Chief Election Commissioner
- ▪Delhi's security crackdown on the Cockroach movement protests goes too far in restricting public assembly
- ▪The internal dissent within India's Election Commission undermines the credibility of its decisions
- ▪The Special Intensive Revision of India's voter rolls does more harm than good
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