New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and called for an independent inquiry into the Election Commission’s centralised system for handling electoral-roll decisions.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, speaking at a press conference in New Delhi alongside party co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, warned that the party would launch a nationwide agitation if Kumar did not step down within 48 hours.
CJP Raises Questions Over Centralised Voter-Roll System
The party alleged that the centralised system used by the Election Commission could prevent decisions taken by constituency-level Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) from being reflected in the final electoral roll.
Abhijeet Dipke and other party leaders claimed that an ERO could determine that a person was eligible to be included in the electoral roll, while the decision could still remain unimplemented because the relevant entry had to be processed through the Election Commission’s centralised software system.
The allegations come amid reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised concerns about the centralisation of voter-database access and the functioning of ECI-Net, which is used in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
CJP Cites Goa Voter-Roll Case
The party referred to a reported case in Goa involving 97 voters who were allegedly left out of the final electoral roll despite constituency-level ERO decisions in their favour.
According to the report cited by CJP, the facility required to record their inclusion was controlled from Delhi.
Saurav Das questioned the role of the Election Commission’s IT division and alleged that the centralised system was restricting powers traditionally exercised by EROs.
The Election Commission’s digital voter services are used for voter registration, corrections and other electoral-roll processes, while electoral-roll preparation and revision are carried out through the election machinery at the state and constituency levels.
CJP Raises SIR Deletion Figures
CJP also cited the figure of more than 13 crore names being removed during the wider SIR exercise. However, the figure relates to deletions from draft electoral rolls and does not by itself establish that all the deleted entries represented eligible voters who were wrongly removed.
In West Bengal, the Election Commission has told the Supreme Court that 27.16 lakh voters were removed and that more than 22 lakh appeals seeking restoration had been filed.
The developments have added to the ongoing political and legal scrutiny surrounding the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission.
CJP Lists Demands Over SIR
Apart from demanding Kumar’s resignation, CJP called for criminal proceedings and sought disclosure of the authorities responsible for decisions concerning the centralised electoral-roll system.
The party demanded an immediate halt to the SIR process and upcoming elections, restoration of the January 2025 electoral roll and an independent investigation into the decision-making process.
It also called for the repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners and proposed a new framework involving civil society.
Dipke said the party would begin a nationwide agitation if the CEC did not resign within the 48-hour deadline.
The party also appealed to political parties to reconsider contesting elections while alleging that the electoral process was being manipulated.
The controversy comes amid scrutiny of SIR-related changes in several states, including Delhi, where more than 47 lakh names were reportedly excluded from the draft electoral roll. The Supreme Court has also questioned aspects of the notice process issued to voters.
