Cockroach Janata Party Protests Electoral Roll Revisions in Kochi
Abhijeet Dipke led protests in Kochi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged mass voter deletions during electoral roll revisions.
The Cockroach Janata Party organized a protest titled 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi' on November 7, 2026, at Rajendra Maidan and Marine Drive in Kochi, Kerala. Led by founder Abhijeet Dipke and actor-activist Prakash Raj, the demonstration demanded the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Dipke alleged that the SIR exercise resulted in the deletion of over 13 crore voters, roughly 13-14% of the registered electorate, and claimed the process was rigged to favor the ruling party. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor backed the protest, characterizing the SIR as a threat to constitutional democracy and citing illegal software overrides of Electoral Registration Officers.
During the event, Dipke criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of compromising national interests by yielding to US President Donald Trump. Specifically, Dipke alleged that Modi agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil and accepted a trade deal with an 18% tariff on Indian goods while allowing US products a 0% tariff. He further predicted that Modi would be voted out of power in 2029.
The protest follows a series of legal challenges and police crackdowns, including the October 13 detention of CJP leaders in New Delhi. While the Election Commission of India told the Supreme Court that SIR decisions were unanimous, reports indicate that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had previously objected to several orders issued without their knowledge.
