Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party is winning elections in states where it could not secure victories even during the peak of the “Modi wave”. He attributed the alleged change in electoral outcomes to what he described as institutional manipulation under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking to reporters in Pune on Sunday, Dipke said, “The BJP is winning in states where it couldn’t even secure a victory during the peak of the ‘Modi wave’-and this is happening because of Gyanesh Kumar. Once Gyanesh Kumar leaves and the SIR freezes, only then will we know how many seats the BJP actually wins.”
Dipke calls for CEC’s resignation
Dipke also demanded that Gyanesh Kumar step down, claiming that the credibility of elections had been affected and that results were effectively decided in advance.
“I feel that until Gyanesh Kumar resigns and ensures free and fair elections, there is no point in participating in such polls, because the winner is already predetermined,” he said.
His comments come amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and reported differences within the Election Commission over certain decisions concerning electoral rolls, voter registration and the poll panel’s technology systems.
CJP backs MPSC protesters in Pune
Dipke was in Pune to express solidarity with students protesting against the Maharashtra government over alleged irregularities in Maharashtra Public Service Commission examinations and recruitment backlogs.
He linked the concerns surrounding elections with what he described as administrative failures, alleging that public confidence in both competitive examinations and electoral processes had declined.
Demanding the resignation of the MPSC chairman, Dipke said, “I have come here to meet protesting students. Their future is in question because there are continuous cases of paper leaks. The government is not serious about these leaks. CJP supports their demands, and till MPSC chairman resigns, this protest will continue.”
Election Commission rejects institutional dissent claim
Dipke’s remarks came after a report in The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period concerning decisions related to electoral rolls, voter registration and the Commission’s technology systems.
The Election Commission, however, rejected the suggestion that these reported objections represented institutional dissent over final decisions.
The poll panel said operational queries, inputs and suggestions raised during the draft stage were part of its standard administrative and decision-making process. The ECI also stated that decisions concerning the schedule of the SIR exercise were taken unanimously.
