CJP Gives CEC Gyanesh Kumar 48 Hours to Resign, Warns of Nationwide Protests

September 24, 2026

New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign within 48 hours, warning that it would launch a nationwide agitation if he does not step down.

CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke announced the demand at a press conference in New Delhi, where the party also called for action over the functioning of the Election Commission and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The CJP’s demands are political allegations and calls for action; they do not establish wrongdoing by the CEC.

CJP Issues 48-Hour Ultimatum to CEC

Dipke said the CJP would begin protests across the country if Gyanesh Kumar did not resign within 48 hours. The organisation also announced plans for a sit-in protest in Delhi.

CJP co-convenor Saurav Das listed several demands, including the resignation of the CEC, criminal proceedings against Kumar and those the party alleges directed him, and a freeze on upcoming elections.

The party also demanded that the SIR be rolled back to the 2025 electoral-roll position and that SIR-related files be placed under the custody of a Supreme Court-led committee.

CJP Raises Questions Over SIR and Electoral Rolls

The CJP’s demands came amid a controversy over reported differences within the Election Commission concerning decisions related to electoral rolls and the SIR exercise.

A recent Indian Express investigation reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over decisions and actions within the poll panel over a 10-month period. The reported objections included issues involving voter additions, deletions and restoration, changes to Form 6 and access to electoral-roll data.

The CJP has cited these reports while questioning the functioning of the Election Commission.

Election Commission Says Decisions Were Unanimous

The Election Commission of India has rejected the suggestion that reported differences indicate a breakdown in decision-making. The poll panel said differing views, written observations and internal checks are part of normal institutional deliberations.

The Election Commission has maintained that decisions taken over the past year, including those concerning the SIR exercise, were unanimous decisions of the full Commission.

The controversy over the functioning of the poll panel comes as political parties continue to debate the SIR process and the handling of electoral rolls ahead of upcoming Assembly elections.