The Indian youth group "Cockroach People's Party" held rallies in Mumbai and New Delhi demanding the resignation of the Election Commission chief over allegations of altering the voter list.
On 2 Oct 2026 GMT+7, the Indian youth movement "Cockroach Janta Party" (CJP) along with several student groups gathered in Mumbai and New Delhi to call for the resignation of Mr. Kanesh Kumar, Chief of India's Election Commission. They alleged irregularities in the revision of the voter list. Meanwhile, police detained several hundred protesters in New Delhi.
A large protest took place at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, with thousands attending and numerous police officers deployed to maintain security. The organizers stated this demonstration marks the start of a nationwide movement in October to demand electoral reforms and the Election Commission chief's resignation.
In New Delhi, protesters attempted to assemble at Jantar Mantar, a political rally site, but police detained several hundred individuals. Authorities increased security measures and restricted gatherings in the area, announcing plans for protests across various cities nationwide, culminating in a major rally in New Delhi at the end of October. Opposition groups also plan protests calling for the Election Commission chief's resignation.
This movement follows reports that two other Election Commissioners, Mr. Sukhpira Singh Sandhu and Mr. Vivek Joshi, have opposed Mr. Kanesh Kumar's orders or decisions at least 14 times in the past 10 months, partly related to the Special Intensive Revision of the voter list.
The Election Commission stated the revision aims to remove duplicate entries, deceased persons, and ineligible voters from the list. However, opposition parties and activists accuse the process of potentially removing qualified voters and suspect it may benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission and government deny these allegations.
Source: AP, CNN