What Are CJP’s Three Big Demands Amid ECI-Gyanesh Kumar Row?

New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced three major demands amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The demands were announced by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised formal objections to several decisions taken within the poll panel.

According to the report, the two Election Commissioners had objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions concerning voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, electoral-roll software and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. These are reported internal objections and do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing.

What are CJP’s three demands?

1. Resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar

CJP has demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign within 48 hours.

The organisation has also called for criminal proceedings against Kumar and asked for an explanation regarding the alleged removal or deletion of voters. These are demands and allegations made by CJP, not established findings by a court or investigative agency.

Dipke warned that the group would intensify its campaign if the resignation demand was not accepted. Reports said CJP also threatened to organise nationwide protests under the banner of “Jantar Mantar 2.0.”

2. Freeze SIR and restore the January 2025 voter list

The second demand is for an immediate halt to all upcoming elections and a freeze on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

CJP has also demanded the restoration of the January 2025 voter list.

The SIR process has become a major point of debate after concerns were reported over voter deletions, new voter registration and the use of electoral-roll databases. The Indian Express reported that the objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi included changes to Form 6, which is used for new voter registration, and concerns over the centralisation of electoral-roll data.

The Election Commission’s stated purpose of electoral-roll revision is to verify voter records and remove duplicate, deceased or otherwise ineligible entries while retaining eligible voters. However, CJP and other critics have raised concerns about the process and its possible impact on voting rights.

3. Repeal the 2023 law on appointing election commissioners

CJP’s third demand is the repeal of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

The group has called for a new law to be enacted with the participation of civil society and other stakeholders. It says the appointment process should inspire greater public confidence in the independence of the Election Commission.

The 2023 law changed the composition of the selection committee for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. The committee includes the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Why has the ECI row intensified?

The controversy intensified after reports that Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi had recorded objections to several decisions taken under the supervision of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

The reported concerns relate to:

• Changes in the Form 6 voter-registration process;

• Addition, deletion and restoration of voter names;

• Centralised control of electoral-roll databases;

• Access to voter-related software;

• The role of state-level election officials in the revision process.

The Indian Express reported that the two Election Commissioners also raised concerns about changes in work allocation and the management of the technological infrastructure supporting electoral rolls.

What has the Election Commission said?

The Election Commission has maintained that differences of opinion can occur within a multi-member constitutional body and that its final decisions are taken according to the applicable procedure.

The reported objections by the two Election Commissioners have been described as part of internal checks and balances. The ECI has also maintained that the final decisions, including those related to SIR, were unanimous.

The competing accounts have not resulted in a final judicial finding that the Election Commission acted illegally. The reported objections and the allegations raised by CJP remain part of an ongoing public and political debate.

CJP threatens nationwide protest

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has warned of a nationwide protest if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign.

Reports said the group may begin demonstrations from October 2, while earlier statements referred to a possible “Jantar Mantar 2.0” campaign. The exact scale and schedule of any protest may depend on subsequent announcements by the organisation.

The controversy comes as political parties and civil society groups continue to debate the independence of the Election Commission, the revision of voter lists and the legal framework governing the appointment of election commissioners.