Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has extended support to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, renewing his demand for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s removal over allegations concerning the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Dipke posted “GYANU MUST GO!” and “Nation above all!” while announcing the group’s support. The CJP has alleged that the SIR exercise could undermine eligible voters’ rights and said Kumar no longer has the credibility to oversee free and fair elections.
The Election Commission of India (ECI), however, has rejected allegations that Kumar acted unilaterally, telling the Supreme Court that all three SIR orders were unanimously approved by the three-member Commission. The Supreme Court has given petitioners 10 days to respond to the ECI’s affidavit, with the matter scheduled to come up again on November 17.
CJP Backs Rally
Dipke announced the CJP’s support for the November 1 mobilisation, saying the organisation would stand with groups seeking free and fair elections. In its statement, the CJP argued that the fundamental principle of democracy is that people should choose their government, rather than governments effectively choosing their voters. The group has linked its demand for Kumar’s resignation to concerns surrounding the SIR exercise and electoral-roll management. These are the CJP’s political claims and have not been established as findings against the CEC.
The development does not mean that the CJP has formally joined the INDIA bloc. Dipke has previously maintained that the CJP would remain outside conventional party politics. The organisation is instead backing the November 1 rally over an issue on which it says it shares concerns with the Opposition. Reports have also indicated that it was not immediately clear whether Dipke or other CJP members would physically participate in the rally.
Opposition Steps Up Pressure
The November 1 rally is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s wider campaign against the ECI’s handling of SIR. Opposition parties have accused the poll panel of electoral irregularities and have demanded greater transparency in the revision of voter rolls, while also calling for Kumar’s resignation. The Congress has framed its wider mobilisation around protecting voting rights and has used the phrase “Vote Chori” in its campaign.
Delhi Police has clarified that it has no objection from the law-and-order perspective to the Congress holding the rally at Ramlila Maidan from 10 am to 5 pm on November 1. The NOC is subject to conditions and prior permission from the land-owning authority. Police have also said arrangements are being coordinated with organisers and other agencies for law and order and traffic management.
ECI Rejects Claims
The controversy has also reached the Supreme Court, where petitions have challenged the ECI’s functioning and alleged that Kumar took unilateral decisions on matters requiring collective approval. In its counter-affidavit, the ECI said the three SIR orders issued on June 24, 2025, October 27, 2025 and May 14, 2026 were approved unanimously by CEC Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The Commission also rejected claims that statutory Form 6, used to apply for inclusion in electoral rolls, had been amended.
The ECI further argued that internal file notings, queries or objections raised during deliberations should not automatically be treated as final decisions of the Commission. Addressing reports of differences between Kumar and the other two Election Commissioners, it said letters sent by Sandhu and Joshi to the Cabinet Secretary in July concerned an officer on deputation and an internal work-allocation issue, rather than policy decisions or the SIR itself. The Commission maintained that an office order at the centre of that correspondence was never implemented.
Supreme Court To Examine
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the competing allegations. On October 27, the court granted petitioner Rakesh Singh 10 days to respond to the ECI’s affidavit and deferred the matter, with the next hearing scheduled for November 17. The proceedings will therefore provide the judicial forum for examining the claims about the Commission’s decision-making process and the legality of the SIR-related actions.
The distinction is significant: while the CJP and Opposition parties have raised allegations about the functioning of the poll panel, the ECI has strongly denied those allegations. Until the court examines the matter and reaches its conclusions, claims of unilateral decision-making or systematic exclusion of eligible voters should not be presented as established facts.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Questions about electoral rolls and the functioning of constitutional institutions deserve serious public scrutiny because confidence in elections depends on transparency and trust. At the same time, political allegations must be tested against evidence, the ECI’s response and the judicial process rather than allowing disagreement to turn into personal hostility.
Peaceful protest is an important democratic right, but so are institutional accountability and reasoned dialogue. As the CJP and INDIA bloc intensify their campaign ahead of November 1, can all sides keep the debate focused on protecting voters and strengthening democratic institutions rather than deepening political polarisation?
