INDIA bloc widens anti-CEC push with CJP outreach beyond Parliament
Synopsis
Unable to muster numbers for a parliamentary impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the INDIA bloc is going grassroots — and reaching beyond politics. CPI(M)'s M. A. Baby has formally written to the CJP, Mamata Banerjee has publicly backed its movement, and two parallel protest tracks are now converging on the same demands. It is the most significant expansion of the anti-CEC campaign outside Parliament since it began.
Key Takeaways
The INDIA bloc has launched a week-long 'Save Democracy' campaign, including district-level marches and an Opposition MP march to the Election Commission .
CPI(M) general secretary M.
Baby wrote to political parties and the CJP on 26 September to build a wider opposition platform against the Election Commission.
TMC founder Mamata Banerjee publicly stated, 'We fully support the movements of the Cockroach Janata Party and the youth,' and demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
The INDIA bloc and CJP are running separate but parallel protests with common demands: CEC's resignation, halt to the SIR electoral-roll revision, and Election Commission appointment reforms.
Congress holds 98 Lok Sabha and 30 Rajya Sabha seats — the largest bloc within the INDIA grouping — despite exits by AAP and DMK .
The Opposition INDIA bloc has taken its campaign against alleged electoral malpractices outside Parliament, recognising that it lacks the numbers for a formal impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The bloc's constituents are now seeking a larger role for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) — a civil society organisation whose earlier campaign against the NEET paper leak and examination irregularities gained nationwide traction and contributed to the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Parallel Protests, Converging Demands
The INDIA bloc and the CJP are running separate organisational programmes rather than a formally unified movement. The two appear to be converging on the same core issues — the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, and reforms to the Election Commission's appointment process — while maintaining distinct leadership structures and protest events.
The INDIA bloc announced a week-long 'Save Democracy' campaign, featuring district-level marches, demonstrations, and a march by Opposition MPs to the Election Commission demanding greater transparency in electoral-roll revisions. The CJP, meanwhile, has been holding its own protests with parallel demands, including a larger gathering observed in Mumbai on Friday even as a political rally in Delhi drew participation from within CJP's ranks.
CPI(M)'s Tactical Outreach to CJP
Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M. A. Baby has been the most visible bridge-builder between the parliamentary Opposition and civil society. On 26 September, he wrote to political parties across the spectrum — and also communicated with the CJP, acknowledging that the organisation is not recognised as a political party. Baby explained that the objective was to build a broader movement involving all forces opposed to what he described as the Election Commission's 'unilateral' and allegedly pro-government functioning, largely owing to Gyanesh Kumar's handling of the SIR exercise. This is widely seen as the CPI(M) leadership treating the CJP as a mobilising force on a specific issue, willing to cooperate despite organisational and ideological differences.
Mamata Banerjee's Indirect Endorsement
All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) founder and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in Delhi for the INDIA meeting, addressed a press conference the following day. When asked about a possible convergence with the CJP, she stopped short of a direct answer, pointing instead to the presence of her MPs at the CJP's earlier protests against the paper leak at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
On Friday, speaking to reporters at the Kolkata airport, Banerjee was more forthcoming: 'We fully support the movements of the Cockroach Janata Party and the youth,' she said, adding, 'We have also demanded the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.' The statement, though careful in its framing, amounts to the bloc's most prominent leader publicly backing the CJP's core demands.
Congress, Internal Positioning and Bloc Dynamics
Within the INDIA platform, the Indian National Congress has been intent on projecting Rahul Gandhi as the face of Opposition protests. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha staged a flash protest with party colleagues outside the Prime Minister's residence in July, seen as an attempt to reclaim political ownership of the paper-leak issue from the CJP. The Congress supported CJP's demands, and its youth and student wings separately staged protests seeking Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
Congress retains pole position within the INDIA grouping despite the exits of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), who stepped away largely over political differences and regional interests. Among the nearly 20 parties that participated in the grouping's recent Delhi meeting, Congress far surpasses others with 98 members in Lok Sabha and 30 in the Rajya Sabha — a numerical weight that keeps regional allies aligned with the alliance's arithmetic despite individual reservations.
With the 'Save Democracy' campaign now running and civil society increasingly coordinated alongside parliamentary Opposition, the battle over the Election Commission's functioning is set to intensify in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
While CPI(M) is quietly doing the coalition-building with non-party actors. The CJP outreach is shrewd but unresolved: a civil society organisation's credibility rests partly on its distance from party politics, and too close an embrace risks blunting exactly the independence that made the NEET campaign effective. Whether the two tracks converge into a sustained movement or remain parallel performances will depend on whether the INDIA bloc can subordinate its branding instincts to a genuinely shared platform.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the INDIA bloc working with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)?
The INDIA bloc lacks the parliamentary numbers needed for an impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, so constituents are seeking to build a broader movement outside Parliament by coordinating with civil society groups like the CJP. The CJP gained significant public traction through its earlier campaign against the NEET paper leak, lending it credibility on electoral accountability issues.
What is the 'Save Democracy' campaign announced by the INDIA bloc?
It is a week-long protest campaign featuring district-level marches, demonstrations, and a march by Opposition MPs to the Election Commission. The campaign calls for greater transparency in electoral-roll revisions and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll?
The SIR is an exercise conducted by the Election Commission to update voter rolls. Opposition parties and the CJP allege the process has been carried out in a 'unilateral' manner and are demanding it be halted pending further scrutiny. CEC Gyanesh Kumar's handling of the SIR is central to the protests.
What role has Mamata Banerjee played in the anti-CEC campaign?
Mamata Banerjee publicly declared support for the CJP's movement and demanded the CEC's resignation, stating 'We fully support the movements of the Cockroach Janata Party and the youth.' She also pointed to the presence of TMC MPs at earlier CJP protests at Jantar Mantar as evidence of coordination.
How strong is Congress's position within the INDIA bloc?
Congress remains the dominant force in the INDIA grouping with 98 Lok Sabha and 30 Rajya Sabha members, far exceeding any other constituent party. This numerical weight keeps the bloc's arithmetic intact despite the departures of AAP and DMK over political and regional differences.
