The Cockroach Janta Party has endorsed a Congress-led INDIA bloc rally in New Delhi on Nov. 1, renewing its call for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign over voter-list revisions.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke wrote on X on Oct. 28 that the party supported the rally and called for Kumar to leave office. CJP member Saurav Das also posted an endorsement. Neither post announced that party representatives would attend.
NDTV reported that Congress did not join a CJP protest in Delhi on Oct. 10, saying it was conducting a separate nationwide agitation. The outlet also reported that Dipke had previously said CJP would stay outside party politics.
The CJP says the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) risks excluding eligible voters. EconoTimes previously reported that a Delhi magistrate released CJP leaders after they pledged to maintain peace and refrain from calling protests at Jantar Mantar while it remains de-notified.
The Indian Express’s investigation tallied at least 14 objections across a 10-month period. It said commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi maintained they had not been told about some decisions. On Sept. 23, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said queries during draft stages were standard practice and that final decisions were unanimous.
Section 18 of the 2023 Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act calls for commission business to be handled unanimously where possible. When commissioners differ, the law provides for a majority decision.
The Associated Press reported that the ECI describes the SIR as an effort to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. AP also reported critics’ concerns that documentation requirements could leave eligible voters, particularly poorer and vulnerable people, off the rolls, and their allegation that the changes could benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). AP said the ECI and BJP reject claims of a political motive.
Delhi Police’s permission document names the Indian National Congress as the rally organizer and lists Ramlila Maidan as the venue. The rally is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 1, and must end by 6:30 a.m. ET (5 p.m. IST).
