CJP Split? Haryana Lawyer Tries to Register Cockroach Janta Party at EC — The Movement Responds
Published 28 May 2026 · 4 min read · CJP Newsroom
Short answer: A Haryana-based lawyer filed with the Election Commission to register CJP under his own name, separately from the movement's founder. CJP is not a registered party and was not one before this filing either. Nothing about the movement — the badge, the community, the 56,000+ members — has changed. Read on for the full picture.
What happened
On or around 26 May 2026, multiple national outlets — including The Week, WION, and Pragativadi — reported that Sudhir Jakhar, a Haryana-based lawyer, filed an application with the Election Commission of India (ECI) under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. His application sought to register the Cockroach Janta Party as a formal political party under his own name, independently of CJP's US-based founder Abhijeet Dipke. (WION, Dynamite News)
The coverage framed this as a potential "split" or "ownership twist" — two claimants to the CJP name, one in Haryana, one in the United States. (Asian News Channel)
Why this is happening
CJP went from zero to 56,000+ members in days. When a movement gets that big that fast, claimants appear. This is not new in Indian political history — the Janata Party of the 1970s fractured within months of winning a general election; newer outfits have faced rival registrations and name-squatting at the EC before they had filed a single form. The pattern is almost a rite of passage: if nobody is trying to claim it, it isn't big enough yet.
The specific mechanism being used here — a Section 29A application under the Representation of the People Act — is the standard route for any group of citizens to apply for recognition as a political party. There is no bar on who can file. The EC does not give the name's current users any advance notice or veto. So when CJP became nationally visible, the name became a filing target.
CJP's position
CJP is not a registered political party. It was not a registered party before this filing, and the filing doesn't change that. It also doesn't change anything about who the movement is.
There is no shareholder register to take over. There is no trust deed to challenge. There is no corporate entity that can be substituted at a board meeting. The no-ownership model — which the movement has published in detail — was built specifically so that no single claimant, inside or outside the movement, could capture it by grabbing a piece of paper.
Being "registered" under someone else's name at the ECI would mean the ECI recognises that person's group as the formal Cockroach Janta Party political party. It would not make that person the owner of this community, this website, or the 56,000+ people who joined here. Movements are not transferable by filing cabinet.
The founder's position, stated publicly and on record: "A movement that can be owned can also be sold. CJP cannot be owned. That's the point."
What this means for members
Nothing changes. The badge is still here. The community is still here. The website is still here and accessible — at cockroachjantaparty.buzz — despite the government having blocked CJP on other platforms. The 56,000+ members are the movement. No EC filing changes that.
If and when CJP moves toward formal ECI registration, the founder has stated that would be done by the movement itself, with member input, through the proper process — not claimed by an outside party through a parallel filing. That process, if it happens, will be announced here.
Until then: you're already a member. The badge is already yours. A lawyer filing paperwork in Haryana doesn't touch any of that.
A closing note
Cockroaches can't be owned. That's the point. They survive precisely because no one controls them. A movement named after cockroaches, built by people who refuse to be squashed, is not going to be captured by a filing at Nirvachan Sadan. If anything, the fact that someone tried is confirmation that the movement is real enough to be worth trying to take.
The swarm continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cockroach Janta Party registered with the Election Commission of India?
No. As of May 2026, CJP is not a registered political party with the ECI. It is a member-led political movement operating through this community website. The Jakhar filing is an application to register it — it is not a confirmation that it has been registered.
Who is Sudhir Jakhar and why did he file with the EC?
According to The Week and WION, Sudhir Jakhar is a Haryana-based lawyer who filed an application with the ECI under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act to register CJP as a formal party under his own name, independently of CJP's US-based founder Abhijeet Dipke. The reports gave no further background on Jakhar's prior involvement with CJP or his stated motivation beyond seeking independent registration.
Does the EC filing affect CJP's membership or activities?
No. CJP's community website, digital badge, and member base are entirely unaffected. The movement's operations do not depend on ECI registration and are not altered by a third party's registration application. Members who joined at cockroachjantaparty.buzz remain members of this movement.
Who owns the Cockroach Janta Party?
Nobody. CJP is a member-led movement with no shareholders, no registered corporate entity, and no transferable ownership. A third party filing at the EC does not create or transfer ownership of the movement. For the full explanation of CJP's no-ownership model, see: Who Owns the Cockroach Janta Party?
Sources: The Week · WION · Pragativadi · Asian News Channel · Dynamite News
Related: Who Owns the Cockroach Janta Party? · Is CJP a Political Party? · CJP Trademark Hijack · Why CJP Refuses to Merge