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CJP vs. BJP

A political alliance between the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) would represent a major ideological and cultural shift in India’s political landscape

By Khawaja Amer | August 2026

The ‘cockroaches’ have swarmed the streets across major Indian cities, such as New Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad and several others, unexpectedly and suddenly challenging the seemingly indomitable power of the country’s right-wing Narendra Modi government. Driven by millions of discontented and disillusioned young people, the newly formed Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) quickly amassed over 14 million followers, dealing a major blow to the BJP’s digital dominance by channelling widespread public anger over unemployment, inflation, corruption and controversial government remarks.

The movement, which began as an online joke, rapidly jolted the very base of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s voter base, historically supported by Hindu nationalist sentiment and strong youth turnout, is now facing a serious challenge to the idea of “Indomitable Modi,” a term frequently used in political discourse, biographies and media commentary to describe his resilience and unwavering political drive.

The Indian political landscape is in rapid flux, marked by the rise of influential grassroots opposition movements and shifting voter demands. Recent seismic shifts include growing public frustration over unemployment, a surge in decentralised, Gen Z-driven socio-political movements, and intense national debates over state polarisation and institutional centralisation. India is navigating a highly complex political environment, with the ruling party’s electoral fortunes shifting amid unprecedented youth pushback.

Though it is too early to say whether the CJP will be able to mobilise movements similar to those that brought down governments in neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the discontented and disillusioned Gen Z youth of India appear determined to push for a change. CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke, who travelled from the United States to lead the protests, said: “The youth of this country will no longer fear; they will fight. For the government, we may be mere insects, but we are alive and capable of fighting for our rights.”

Indian political analysts, however, believe the CJP is an online-led youth movement and satirical political group that lacks the formal structure, electoral machinery and legislative representation needed to bring down a national government. They also acknowledge that its popularity has significantly dented Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image on the issues related to job creation and economic distress. The movement serves as a powerful channel for public dissent and accountability, but is likely to remain a pressure group rather than a direct electoral challenge.

Some political scientists believe that an alliance between the viral youth-led CJP and the Indian National Congress (INC) would represent a major ideological and cultural shift in India’s political landscape. Such an alliance would unite a Gen Z digital movement with a traditional political heavyweight to counter established political forces. A coalition of this nature could also advance a hybrid manifesto combining Congress’s institutional campaign structures with the CJP’s grassroots demands.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the CJP as a ‘revelation’ of youth frustration over unemployment, inflation and the NEET (UG) paper leaks. Tharoor criticised the blocking of the CJP’s X handle as ‘disastrous’ for democracy, arguing that satirical and humorous platforms are healthy outlets for public dissatisfaction. He noted that the phenomenon reflects Gen Z’s growing restlessness and presents an opportunity for the political opposition to channel this discontent into mainstream electoral politics.


Social activist Anna Hazare expressed support for the young people backing the Cockroach Janata Party, stating that the government should encourage such youth participation rather than ignore it. Hazare said that the “youth power is national power” and urged the Centre to listen to their concerns.
Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee also expressed support for the movement. Party Spokesperson Derek O’Brien said the party was “fighting a good fight” and described it as a reflection of youth concerns and online political dissent in India.

While the growing influence of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) may come as a surprise, there is little clarity on whether it would have any real impact on the outcome of India’s next general elections

The CJP was created in response to remarks made on May 15, 2026, by Surya Kant, the Chief Justice of India, who allegedly referred to some activists and unemployed youth as “cockroaches.” The movement was founded on May 16, 2026, just a day after the remark, by Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and former member of the Aam Aadmi Party. Within days of its founding, more than 350,000 people had signed up as members, while its Instagram following exceeded 20 million. The movement has also engaged in offline activities, with volunteers participating in protests and cleanup drives while dressed in cockroach costumes.

The movement grew rapidly across social media platforms. Within 78 hours of its launch, the Instagram account crossed 3 million followers. It surpassed 10 million followers in less than five days, overtaking the official BJP handle. As of May 22, 2026, the account had more than 20 million followers. The movement also crossed 200,000 followers on X and claims to have registered more than 350,000 members through online forms.

The party’s vision, as stated on its website by Dipke, is: “We are not here to set up another PM CARES, holiday in Davos on the taxpayer’s salary slip, or rebrand corruption as strategic spending. We are here to ask, loudly, repeatedly and in writing, where the money went.”

Its mission is described as: “Build a party for the young people who keep getting called lazy, chronically online and, most recently, cockroaches. That’s it. That’s the mission. The rest is satire.”

Abhijeet Dipke was born on September 29, 1995, in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism in Pune before moving to the United States, where he completed a Master of Science in Public Relations from Boston University. He received his early political training while volunteering with the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media team. During the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, which AAP won under Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership, he created meme-based digital content aimed at young voters. He also served as a communications adviser to the Delhi government’s education department. He left AAP in 2023 to pursue higher studies abroad.

There is little doubt that Gen Z is reshaping the subcontinent’s political landscape by moving from digital activism to direct, system-level disruption. Driven by economic frustration and anti-establishment sentiment, this youth-led force is bypassing traditional political dynasties to demand accountability and social justice across countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. The impact is perhaps most visible in Bangladesh, where student uprisings contributed to the downfall of the long-ruling Awami League, forcing a major reckoning for the traditional political parties.

While the growing influence of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) may come as a surprise, there is little clarity on whether it would have any real impact on the outcome of India’s next general elections.

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