Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday reiterated his demand that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar step down, citing former Kerala chief secretary Jiji Thomson’s claim that Kumar approached him on a 2016 flight and offered a BJP ticket for the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Pathanamthitta, an offer Thomson promptly rejected.
Dipke amplified the allegation on Instagram and X, writing “Gyanu must go” and mocking Kumar’s promise of “free and fair elections.” Congress MP Rahul Gandhi echoed the charge, accusing Kumar of “match‑fixing elections,” while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray pledged street action in Mumbai if the CEC does not resign. The Election Commission responded that key decisions, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, were taken unanimously and remain legally valid.
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Under its “Election Commission Thik Karo” campaign, the CJP announced a nationwide protest beginning in Mumbai on October 2, with plans to expand to other cities and a warning of a “Jantar Mantar 2.0” agitation, focusing on the exclusion of more than 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories.
