'You Say Polls Are Rigged, Yet Contest Them': Abhijeet Dipke Questions Opposition Parties

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has challenged opposition parties to cease contesting elections if they truly believe the electoral process is being rigged. In a recent X post, Dipke likened the situation to a fixed cricket match and questioned why political parties keep participating despite repeatedly claiming electoral irregularities.

Dipke argued that continued participation in rigged elections legitimizes them and maintains the illusion that they are free and fair. He suggested that opposition parties could be allowed a few victories, or "crumbs," to keep them involved and convince voters of a genuine political contest. Dipke also questioned whether the opposition was primarily contesting elections to preserve their political existence, warning that they may cease to exist if they stop participating.

The CJP's criticism of the Election Commission (ECI) followed a day after the opposition party demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and threatened a nationwide agitation without him. Dipke's comments came amid ongoing differences within the ECI over electoral-roll management and other decisions, with some commissioners raising objections to voter additions, deletions, and access to the electoral-roll database.

The Election Commission, however, maintains that differing views and written observations are part of its internal functioning and that decisions are taken unanimously. Dipke's latest remarks add another layer to the political debate over the ECI, electoral-roll revisions, and opposition allegations concerning the conduct of elections.