'Cockroach Party' protestors demand Indian elections chief resign

Thousands of protesters from India's Cockroach Party and various activist groups took to the streets on Friday, demanding the resignation of the country's chief electoral commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. The protests erupted following a controversial revision of the voter rolls, which the protesters claim was an attempt at electoral manipulation in favor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. The Election Commission and the government have denied any wrongdoing.

The Mumbai rally is just the beginning of a nationwide wave of demonstrations. Police prevented students and civil society groups from gathering at the designated protest site in New Delhi, Jantar Mantar, detaining some opposition leaders who attempted to reach the site. The protesters allege that the commission removed 130 million names from the voter list, targeting deceased or relocated individuals, in a bid to favor the ruling party.

Political analyst Rahul Verma stated that the majority of those deleted were deceased or moved away, but he acknowledged the suffering caused by the extensive documentation required to prove eligibility. The commission argues that the revisions aim to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls by removing duplicates, deceased, or ineligible voters.

However, the trust in the Election Commission has taken a hit, with political scientist Verma noting that mass outrage over the electoral roll revisions has not been seen since the process began in 2025.