Jantar Mantar 2.0? CJP’s 3 demands: CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, SIR freeze, voter roll restoration

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar within 48 hours. Accusing him of undermining voters’ rights, the party issued a clear ultimatum, warning of widespread nationwide protests if he fails to step down.

Addressing a press conference, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that the electoral process had been “rigged” and asserted that citizens’ fundamental right to vote was actively being taken away under the current leadership of the Election Commission.

Also read: Election Commission SIR row: Rahul Gandhi urges Gyanesh Kumar to 'turn approver', praises two ECs


The three key demands:

The party outlined a three-point ultimatum directed at the electoral body and the central leadership:

• 1st demand: Gyanesh Kumar must resign within 48 hours, followed by the initiation of criminal proceedings against him. The party further demanded an official answer on who gave him the orders to steal votes.
• 2nd demand: All upcoming elections must be immediately halted, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) must be frozen, and the voter list from January 2025 must be restored.
• 3rd demand: The 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners must be repealed and replaced with a new law crafted with active participation from civil society to inspire public confidence.

Warning of 'Jantar Mantar 2.0' protests :

Dipke warned that if Kumar does not step down within the designated 48-hour deadline, the party will mobilize mass demonstrations across the country.

“If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign within 48 hours, we will start a nationwide protest, before coming for a protest in Delhi,” Dipke declared, adding that if the CEC doesn't resign, “Jantar Mantar 2.0 will definitely happen”.

Also read: CJP demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation in 48 hours

Addressing the broader political landscape, Dipke called on other opposition parties to evaluate their ongoing participation in elections if they share concerns about the integrity of the voting process.

“If you know elections are being rigged, you cannot participate. You will have to take a stand,” he said.

Calling Kumar the “biggest threat to Indian democracy,” Dipke directly accused the Election Commission of arbitrarily determining voter eligibility.

“Who is Gyanesh to revoke our right to vote?” he asked, reiterating his call for criminal proceedings against the CEC.

To back its allegations of voter exclusion, the CJP highlighted substantial drops in voter numbers across multiple states under the ongoing revision process:

• Maharashtra & Uttar Pradesh: More than 2 crore names excluded in each state
• Karnataka: Around 1 crore names excluded
• Tamil Nadu: 97 lakh names excluded
• West Bengal: 90 lakh names excluded
• Telangana: 73 lakh names excluded
• Delhi: 47 lakh names excluded
• Kerala: 24 lakh names excluded

“Democracy means people choose their govt. This is not democracy, this is autocracy. Under Gyanesh Kumar, we are seeing an electoral system in which the Election Commission is deciding who remains on the voter rolls and who does not,” Dipke emphasized.

Internal friction over Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

The party's sharp criticism follows a report by The Indian Express revealing internal friction within the three-member Election Commission regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.

According to the publication, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally recorded their dissent at least 14 separate times over a 10-month period, raising concerns about decisions and official orders issued for the SIR.

The report highlighted that four of these formal objections occurred within a single day. Both Sandhu and Joshi noted that key decisions had been executed or issued without their prior knowledge, despite the nationwide implementation of the SIR falling under the collective oversight of all three election commissioners.