CJP’s Second Jantar Mantar Protest on October 10 Puts Election Chief in Spotlight After Pradhan’s Exit

New Delhi, Oct 9 : The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) is set to stage its second major protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

The planned ‘Chalo Dilli’ demonstration comes months after the party’s July agitation over the NEET-UG paper leak brought Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan under intense scrutiny. Pradhan resigned from his post on July 25 amid mounting criticism over the examination controversy.

This time, the party is targeting the Election Commission, alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has resulted in the deletion of eligible voters and could benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The proposed demonstration has prompted extensive security arrangements across the national capital. Authorities have denied permission for the gathering, while nearly 26,000 personnel from central security forces have been deployed in Delhi, officials said. Police are preparing for a potentially large turnout of protesters from the city and neighbouring states.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has announced the closure of entry and exit facilities at several metro stations from 9 pm on October 9 and throughout October 10 until further notice, citing security concerns. Interchange facilities will remain available at the affected stations, except at New Delhi Metro station.

Indian Railways has also cancelled all mail and express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday. The decision was taken in view of the possibility of severe traffic congestion around the stations due to the planned protest.

CJP’s latest mobilisation follows its July agitation over the alleged NEET-UG examination paper leak, which brought students and supporters onto the streets and intensified pressure on the Centre over allegations of irregularities in the examination process.

Seeking to build on the momentum of that agitation, the party is now demanding Kumar’s resignation, accountability over the electoral roll revision exercise and wider electoral reforms, including changes to the law governing appointments to the Election Commission.

The Election Commission, however, has defended the revision process, stating that it is intended to remove duplicate, deceased and ineligible entries and improve the accuracy of electoral rolls. Allegations of politically motivated voter deletions remain contested, with the poll body and the BJP rejecting claims of wrongdoing.

The planned CJP protest comes amid four days of opposition demonstrations in Delhi against the revision exercise. Opposition leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have participated in protests demanding Kumar’s resignation and the withdrawal of the SIR process.

Some protesters were detained during demonstrations on October 6 and 7, while traffic movement in parts of central Delhi was disrupted.

Opposition parties have argued that the revision could undermine voting rights and affect the credibility of elections. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is necessary to safeguard electoral integrity.

With opposition parties stepping up their campaign against the revision and CJP preparing for its second major demonstration in the capital, Saturday’s protest is expected to test the party’s ability to replicate the political impact of its July agitation.

Following the controversy that preceded Pradhan’s resignation, the focus has now shifted to whether the campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner will gather similar momentum.