Can INDIA Bloc, CJP Replicate the Jantar Mantar Effect on Gyanesh Kumar?

It’s clear who the government fears more. After burning their fingers with Gen Z at Jantar Mantar, BJP is wary.

Can the Opposition bring lakhs of people out on the street to force the CEC’s hand, like the CJP did? 

(Photo: Altered by Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

October threatens to be a hot month for embattled Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar as well as the Narendra Modi government. It marks the start of sustained agitations for the CEC’s ouster with the INDIA bloc and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) acting separately but creating pincer-like movement to corner him and the government over the controversial Special Intensive Review of the electoral rolls. The SIR has led to the deletion of over 13 crore voters while the fate of lakhs more languishes in tribunal and judicial appeals.

But removing Gyanesh Kumar will not be easy. As CEC, he enjoys life-long immunity under a 2023 law passed by the current government.

Consequently, the success of the ouster of Gyanesh hinges on public pressure generated by the protests. Can the Opposition bring lakhs of people out on the street to force the CEC’s hand?

Can CJP orchestrate a repetition of its victorious nationwide stir that began at Jantar Mantar and led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union Education Minister?

Govt Scared of Cockroaches

It’s clear who the government fears more. The Mumbai Police was quick to deny permission to the CJP for its protest march at Shivaji Park on 2 October. Undeterred, CJP is going ahead with its plans and has called for a Jail Bharo Andolan.

The coming days will reveal its success rate. Remember, its Jantar Mantar protest started off on a low key in early June and only gained momentum after the brutal police crackdown outside Parliament on 20 July.

The CJP has coined a catchy slogan on Instagram to attract youngsters, "It’s done bro, Gyanesh" inspired by actor Salman Khan's viral tweet that has become a meme trend. A tad ambitious, given the stringent legal protection the CEC enjoys. Still, it spurred the Congress to borrow the line for its memes and Insta reels.

After burning their fingers with Gen Z during the Jantar Mantar protest, the government and the BJP are wary. They treat CJP with kid gloves and have given into their demands quickly in the past. But removing Gyanesh Kumar will bring the fire to Modi’s doorstep. Can he allow that?

On the other hand, the government doesn’t seem too worried by the proposed INDIA bloc agitation. The INDIA bloc is made up of mainstream political parties who do traditional politics.

None of them think out of the box, not even Rahul Gandhi although his 'Vote Chori' campaign stands vindicated today by The Indian Express expose of the trouble within the Election Commission on various aspects of SIR.

For INDIA Bloc, Unity is Crucial

The INDIA bloc’s plans are predictable. Agitations outside election offices in every district culminating in a protest march to the EC headquarters in New Delhi on 6 October, a memorandum to the President of India (although they know she is unlikely to act on it) and finally five mega rallies starting with New Delhi across major urban cities.

While Rahul Gandhi’s "Chhatron ki Goonj" rallies have been wildly successful, it remains to be seen what kind of numbers opposition parties rustle up for the planned monthlong agitations. Rahul Gandhi’s 'Vote Chori' campaign provided a few great photo ops, but sank like a stone in water because he failed to convert it into a nationwide movement.

However, what Gyanesh Kumar has done is to unify the Opposition. Every party that is a member of the INDIA bloc was represented at the meeting. 

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee even told Rahul Gandhi that she is not an egoist and is willing to support him for PM. The absence of Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav created ripples before the meeting of a possible rift. However, he sent senior leaders in place of him. And as the day progressed, it was evident that he couldn’t leave Lucknow because of his surprise decision to field Reliance executive Dhanraj Nathwani as an SP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. 

According to well-placed sources, the decision was taken in consultation with Rahul Gandhi. It will be a tense election till the very end and Akhilesh Yadav’s presence in Lucknow is vital.  

The jugalbandi between the INDIA bloc and the the CJP over the CEC issue is interesting. Whether deliberate or inadvertent, the parallel agitations feed into each other and serve to amplify the demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.  

Significantly, suggestions cropped up, first at the Congress Working Committee meeting and then the next day at the INDIA bloc, that the Opposition should reach out to CJP for coordination. There was not much enthusiasm for the proposal at either meeting. Nor is the CJP likely to join hands with opposition parties.

It may be recalled that during the Jantar Mantar protests, Rahul Gandhi had evinced an interest to meet with CJP leaders through AISA president Neha Bora. Abhijeet Dipke cold-shouldered the proposal.

No surprises here. CJP has stated time and again, that it wants to remain outside the political arc for the moment and develop itself into a pressure group. 

Perception and Prestige Battle

In any case, given the level of public mistrust in mainstream political parties, both opposition and ruling, CJP would only end up tainted before it has even taken off. However, both sides should not underestimate the value they add to each other. They bring double pressure on the government and the BJP.

The battle to control the narrative is on. Post Jantar Mantar, CJP and the Congress have been driving public discourse while the BJP has been on the backfoot. It has been reacting instead of setting the agenda as it has done for the past 12 years. While the path ahead is much easier for CJP, the Opposition has to fight elections and win to stay in the game.

Three crucial elections are coming up between January and March 2027, in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The first two will decide the political future of the Congress. The third will script the BJP’s fortunes for 2029.

Ironically, if the October heat doesn’t force Gyanesh Kumar out of office, all three elections will be fought with him as CEC. Nothing could be more ironic.

(Arati R Jerath is a Delhi-based senior journalist. She tweets @AratiJ. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)