CJP demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, warns of 'Jantar Mantar 2.0'

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that he has undermined voter rights, and warned of a nationwide agitation — including what it called "Jantar Mantar 2.0" — if he does not step down within two days.

The demand was made at a press conference in Delhi by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka. Mr. Dipke alleged that the electoral process had been "rigged" and that the right to vote was being taken away from citizens. "To ensure free and fair elections, CEC Gyanesh Kumar must resign," he said.

"If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign within 48 hours, we will start a nationwide protest, before coming for a protest in Delhi," Mr. Dipke said, adding that if the CEC does not resign, "Jantar Mantar 2.0 will definitely happen". Jantar Mantar is a designated protest site in central Delhi that has hosted several large civil society and anti-corruption movements in the past.

The party placed three demands. "Our first demand is the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and initiation of criminal proceedings against him immediately," Mr. Ranka said at the press conference, which was called to discuss the conduct of recent elections and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Second, Mr. Ranka said all upcoming elections should be halted immediately and the pre-SIR voter rolls restored for all States. Third, he sought the constitution of an independent inquiry commission to examine all proceedings of the SIR so far, and asked that the Supreme Court seize all files relating to the decision-making on the SIR before they are destroyed by the Election Commission.

The CJP also demanded the repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners, saying a new law should be framed in consultation with civil society groups.

Appealing to young people to "come forward to save this nation", Mr. Dipke asked, "Who is Gyanesh Kumar to revoke our right to vote?" He also urged Opposition parties to take a clear stand against what he described as election rigging, saying, "If you know the election is rigged, you should take a stand — you cannot both participate in the election and speak against rigging."

The remarks came a day after The Indian Express reported that questions were repeatedly raised on issues related to the SIR of electoral rolls within the three-member Election Commission by two of the three election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The Election Commission has said that highlighting certain internal notes presents only one side of the picture.

The SIR is an exercise under which electoral rolls in a State or region are reviewed and revised afresh, with voters asked to re-establish their eligibility. It has drawn scrutiny from Opposition parties and civil society groups, who argue that eligible voters may be left out, while the Commission has maintained that the exercise is meant to remove duplicate and ineligible entries and strengthen the integrity of the rolls.

The CJP's demands are political in nature and have not been accepted by the Election Commission or the government. The allegations made at the press conference remain allegations; no court has ruled on them. Under the Constitution, the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only in the manner and on the grounds applicable to a judge of the Supreme Court.