New Delhi, October 7, 2026: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and several student organisations on Wednesday called for nationwide mobilisation ahead of their October 10 protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, warning supporters to prepare for a prolonged agitation.
Addressing a joint press conference, the CJP, All India Students’ Association (AISA), All India Students’ Federation (AISF) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI) backed a united campaign against the Election Commission (EC). The Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing, also participated.
Opposition To EC Widens
The groups backed the INDIA bloc MPs’ October 6 protest march and sought to portray the confrontation as a larger struggle between those defending democracy and the BJP.
The coming together of political and student groups indicates an attempt to widen the agitation beyond a single organisation and sustain pressure over demands for changes to the electoral system, PTI reports.
CJP co-convenor Saurav Das urged people from across the country to travel to Delhi and be prepared for a long agitation.
“This fight is not going to be easy. I appeal to everyone across the country to join us, book train and flight tickets,” Das said.
CJP Lists Demands
Das said the protesters would not step back even if Kumar resigned, arguing that the electoral system needed to be cleaned up. He also alleged that the BJP’s response reflected a “lust for eternal power”.
The CJP has demanded Kumar’s resignation and criminal proceedings against him. It has also sought a freeze on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, a halt to upcoming elections, restoration of the January 2025 voters’ list and an independent inquiry.
The group has further demanded the repeal of the 2023 law governing appointments to the EC and the establishment of what it called an independent and credible selection process.
‘No Divisions’ In Campaign
AISA president Neha Bora rejected suggestions of differences between the student-led mobilisation and protests by opposition parties.
She said common people, civil society, opposition parties and student organisations stood on one side, with the EC and BJP on the other.
“There are no divisions. We, the people of India, versus the BJP. If we lead this fight unitedly, we will do it effectively,” Bora said.
She also backed INDIA bloc MPs who tried to march towards the EC office on Tuesday demanding Kumar’s resignation. Bora said elected representatives had a duty to take to the streets to raise people’s issues and defend their rights.
“That’s what the MPs of the INDIA bloc did,” she said, adding that the CJP and student organisations affiliated with opposition parties would strengthen the October 10 protest.
“If ever there was a time to desert the BJP, it is now,” Bora said, urging people in the BJP camp to join those seeking to defend democracy and the Constitution.
Unity After Online Sparring
The call for unity comes days after online sparring between the CJP and sections aligned with the Congress. The joint mobilisation therefore also serves as an effort to put those differences aside ahead of the October 10 protest.
Das said the participants were united despite differences in their political affiliations and ideologies because they were fighting to change what he described as a “broken system”.
Asked whether the organisers would obtain permission for the protest, Das said they had submitted a formal intimation at Parliament Street police station on Wednesday and provided undertakings.
“Please don’t use the word permission. Who is Delhi Police to give us permission?” he said, arguing that an intimation was sufficient.
“We will cooperate with Delhi Police and we hope Delhi Police will cooperate with us,” Das added.
‘Democracy Versus Autocracy’
SFI’s Adarsh Shaji accused Kumar of undermining Indian democracy and described the confrontation as a fight between “democracy and autocracy”.
The CJP is seeking to maintain street pressure following an agitation it led in July over the NEET paper leak. According to the group, that agitation forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as Union Education Minister.
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With its October 10 protest, the CJP is now seeking to channel that momentum into a sustained campaign against Kumar and for wider electoral reforms. The organisers’ repeated emphasis on unity and a prolonged agitation suggests that they see the protest not as a one-day demonstration but as the beginning of a broader political campaign.
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