CJP seeks to expand base in Keralam

In a bid to broaden its influence in Keralam, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is ramping up its nationwide campaign, pressuring Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. On September 27, 2026, the party announced its intention to engage students and garner support for its protests.

CJP's national media lead Vijay Reddy Mallangi disclosed that nearly 20,000 individuals from Keralam had registered with the party, the largest number from any state across the nation. Speaking at a media briefing in Kochi ahead of a supporters' gathering in the city, Mallangi stated that the party's state team members would launch an extensive outreach program, urging them to actively join protests in Mumbai and other parts of the country.

The CJP plans to intensify its activities on campuses, assigning four zonal coordinators to engage with students and explore the establishment of membership desks at universities. Additionally, the party would address specific issues pertinent to Keralam, such as the delayed e-grant disbursement to Dalit and Adivasi students. The CJP will also seek to align with student organizations from various political persuasions to coordinate its campaign, while continuing to voice its concerns about the State.

The party has presented three demands as part of its electoral reforms agenda—Kumar's resignation, an independent inquiry into all SIR-related matters, and the repeal of the 2023 law governing Election Commissioner appointments. Scheduled to commence in Mumbai on October 2, 2026, the nationwide protest will subsequently spread to other regions.

In a subsequent session addressing a gathering of around 150 CJP supporters on Marine Drive, Mallangi emphasized that the party's ideology revolves around safeguarding constitutional principles. He accused the BJP of aligning with Kumar by defending him when the CJP had lodged allegations, citing former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson's revelation that Kumar had suggested Thomson contest the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket as further proof of alleged collusion.

CJP's state coordinators from Keralam—Firoz Khan, Nidhin Noble, Sanoop Dev, and Isha Mariyam Harris, alongside representatives from Azadi and Students and Youth Collective, two young activist groups supporting the CJP, participated in the meeting. The event, deemed the first official CJP gathering in the State, drew participants of diverse age groups.