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Mumbai protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over electoral roll revisions and appointment process

Several cities · pinned on Mumbai, India · since Oct 2, 2026

Is it still on?

YESDay 5 and counting, since Oct 2.

Last report · checked

Summary in three lines

Why they are protesting
Protesters allege irregularities in electoral roll revisions, deletion of voter names, and question the Election Commission's functioning and CEC's appointment.
What they want
Demands include CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, criminal action against him, freezing of SIR electoral rolls, and a return to paper ballots.
What changed
Oct 5: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis criticized the Thackeray-led march, calling the leaders "Ghajinis" and dismissing their claims.
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Both sides

What protesters want

  • Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
  • Criminal action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar
  • Freezing/scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
  • Greater transparency in the CEC appointment process, including civil society participation
  • Conduct all future elections using paper ballots instead of EVMs

Organised by: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray, Communist Parties, Peasants and Workers Party

What authorities say

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the allegations against the Election Commission, stating that the "fake narrative has been busted" and accused protesters of creating confusion (Source [3]). He later called the Thackeray cousins "Ghajinis" and accused them of venting frustration (Source [8]). Mumbai Police denied…356810

The numbers

Only figures a source states, with who said it. Estimates often differ.

Crowd
8,000
The crowd was estimated at around 8,000-10,0008

The full story

On October 2, 2026, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) held a protest at Mumbai's Shivaji Park against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, despite police denying permission. Protesters demanded Kumar's resignation, criminal action against him, and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, advocating for greater transparency and a return to paper ballots. The CJP alleged that millions of names had been deleted from electoral rolls since 2024, affecting the electoral process. On October 4, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray led another march in Mumbai with similar demands, joined by other opposition parties. Mumbai Police registered an FIR against CJP organizers and 400-500 unidentified persons for unlawful assembly on October 2. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the allegations against the Election Commission. The National Human Rights Commission issued a notice regarding the alleged involvement of minors in the CJP protest. The protests are part of a wider multi-city campaign.

Timeline

  1. The National Human Rights Commission issued a notice regarding allegations of minors being used or exposed during the CJP protest (Source [10]).10

  2. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis criticized the Thackeray-led march, calling the leaders "Ghajinis" and accusing them of venting frustration (Source [8]).8

  3. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray led a march in Mumbai, joined by other opposition parties, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation (Source [6], [7]).67

  4. Mumbai Police registered an FIR against CJP organizers and 400-500 unidentified persons for unlawful assembly at Shivaji Park (Source [5]).5

  5. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed allegations against the Election Commission, calling the CJP's narrative "fake" (Source [3]).3

  6. CJP launched its "Jail Bharo" protest at Shivaji Park, with thousands gathering despite heavy police deployment and permit denial (Source [4]).4

  7. Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke announced plans for a protest at Mumbai's Shivaji Park on October 2, despite police denying permission (Source [2]).2

Pins sit on city centres, never on gathering points

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