ANTI-CEC PROTESTS SPREAD ACROSS CITIES AS SIR DISPUTE FUELS FRESH ELECTORAL STANDOFF
October 2, 2026
Protests targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission are being planned in several Indian cities amid a continuing political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Demonstrations have been announced in Delhi and Mumbai on October 2, with further programmes planned in cities including Bengaluru, Kolkata and Goa.
The Cockroach Janta Party, led by founder Abhijeet Dipke, has announced a “Jail Bharo Andolan” at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park at 4pm. Dipke has called for Kumar’s resignation and greater transparency in the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner, including a role for civil society in the selection process.
Mumbai Police have not permitted the proposed gathering at Shivaji Park, citing legal restrictions governing the venue. Organisers have nevertheless continued to call supporters to the location, while saying that their wider campaign will extend beyond Mumbai.
A separate demonstration has been planned at Jantar Mantar in Delhi by student groups, activists and opposition supporters. Delhi Police have imposed restrictions on public assemblies in the New Delhi district and have not granted permission for the proposed gathering. Barricades have also been placed around roads leading towards Jantar Mantar, while several metro stations have faced temporary access restrictions.
The protests come amid a broader dispute over the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise and reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections to certain decisions and orders on multiple occasions. The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of a division within the three-member body and has maintained that decisions relating to SIR were taken unanimously.
Opposition parties have separately announced a nationwide campaign over electoral-roll revision and the functioning of the Election Commission. Their programme includes district-level demonstrations, a proposed march to the Election Commission headquarters and further political mobilisation during October.
The competing claims over the electoral-roll revision, the appointment and functioning of the poll panel, and the conduct of the protests are expected to remain major points of political debate. Authorities in the affected cities are simultaneously preparing security and traffic arrangements as demonstrations are scheduled to take place.
