Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday urged Opposition parties to stop contesting elections if they believe the electoral process is being rigged, arguing that their participation lends legitimacy to what he alleged is a flawed system.
Dipke compared the Opposition’s continued participation in elections to playing a “fixed match”, suggesting that even in such a contest, not every catch would be deliberately dropped and the game could be allowed to go into the final over to create the appearance of a genuine contest.
He also suggested that Opposition parties could be allowed occasional victories — “the crumbs” — to keep them participating and give voters the impression that there was a real electoral contest.
“When you continue to participate in rigged , you legitimise these elections and help maintain the illusion that they are free and fair,” Dipke said in a post on X.
His remarks came a day after the CJP demanded Chief Election Commissioner ’s resignation and threatened a nationwide agitation if he did not step down within 48 hours.
Dipke questioned why continue to contest elections despite repeatedly alleging electoral irregularities.
“Maybe you keep contesting because you fear that if you don’t, you will stop existing. But what kind of existence are you trying to protect when votes are being stolen, your MLAs and MPs are being poached, and your parties are being split?” he said.
He also argued that Opposition parties should maintain a consistent position on allegations of electoral manipulation rather than raise the issue selectively depending on the state or political party involved.
“You cannot keep saying the game is rigged while continuing to play it,” Dipke said.
He urged to put what he described as the interests of the nation and democracy ahead of their political survival.
“Take a stand and stop participating in rigged elections,” Dipke said.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, separately called for Kumar’s resignation while reiterating his allegations of “vote-chori”.
Gandhi said he had presented evidence and claimed there was sufficient information to establish that Indian elections, including the and Assembly elections, were being rigged.
He also said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had “done a wise thing” by raising objections and urged the CEC to “think seriously and turn approver”.
Dipke’s remarks come amid a fresh controversy over the functioning of the Election Commission following an Indian Express investigation.
The report said Sandhu and Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders they said were taken without their knowledge.
The Election Commission rejected suggestions of an institutional rupture, saying differences of opinion, written notes and internal checks are part of the decision-making process within a multi-member constitutional body.
