Cockroach Janta Party backs INDIA bloc's Nov 1 SIR rally, renews demand for CEC's resignation

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday extended its support to the INDIA bloc's rally scheduled for November 1 against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and reiterated its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a statement shared on social media, the party said the SIR had raised serious concerns about the possible exclusion of eligible voters, and argued that the Election Commission of India's responsibility was to safeguard every citizen's right to vote.

Invoking the principles of the Constitution and the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the CJP said democracy depended on ensuring equal political representation and on protecting the voting rights of every eligible citizen.

“The fundamental principle of democracy is that people get to choose their government, not that the government gets to choose its voters,” the party said, alleging that the exercise had undermined public confidence in the electoral process.

The party said it would support organisations working to protect free and fair elections, stressing that no eligible citizen should be deprived of the right to vote.

The Special Intensive Revision is a ward-level verification exercise in which electoral registration officers cross-check existing entries against official records and field visits. Opposition parties have argued that the process places the burden of proof on ordinary voters and could lead to the names of genuine electors, particularly from poorer and marginalised households, being struck off the rolls. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended only to remove entries of deceased, shifted or duplicate voters, and that no genuine voter will be excluded.

The CJP's endorsement comes ahead of the INDIA bloc's planned gathering at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, part of the Opposition's campaign against the alleged irregularities and its demand for greater transparency in voter-list revisions. The rally is expected to bring together leaders from a range of parties opposed to the government at the Centre, and is being presented by its organisers as a show of unity on the question of electoral integrity.

The demand for the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation is not new. Opposition parties have repeatedly called for Mr. Kumar to step down, arguing that the Commission's handling of the revision has eroded public faith in the electoral machinery. The Commission has defended its conduct of the exercise.

Political observers note that the backing of smaller parties such as the CJP, while unlikely to alter the arithmetic of any election on its own, adds to the volume of Opposition criticism in the run-up to the November 1 event. The extent to which the rally translates into a broader campaign on electoral reform will become clearer in the weeks that follow.

All parties involved have appealed to their supporters to keep the November 1 gathering peaceful. Authorities in Delhi are expected to put in place traffic and security arrangements around Ramlila Maidan for the day.