Who is Ajinkya Shinde? The organiser stepping up to lead CJP protest

Shinde, 35, is a computer science graduate from Maharashtra who previously worked at an international IT firm in Pune. He later left the technology sector to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a full-time worker, going on to take up organisational responsibilities in Goa and Maharashtra.

According to Indian media reports, Shinde served as AAP's convener for Pimpri-Chinchwad and later worked as a social media coordinator and convener of the party's Maharashtra youth wing. His political career subsequently brought him to the Cockroach Janta Party, where he was appointed national organisation in-charge in August 2026. He has been a close associate of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke for years, with the two reportedly first meeting in Goa in 2016.

Shinde has also been involved in CJP's campaigns on education issues. He participated in the group's protests over the alleged leak of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) examination paper earlier this year and was associated with its 'School Thik Karo' campaign, which seeks to improve government schools. The NEET protests helped establish CJP as a youth-led pressure group with a presence on the streets as well as social media.

Why Shinde is leading the CJP protest

Shinde came to the forefront on Saturday after Delhi Police detained Dipke, spokesperson Saurav Das and co-convener Ashutosh Ranka shortly after their flight from Mumbai landed in the national capital.

In a video message released by CJP, Dipke announced that Shinde would lead the movement until the three senior leaders were released from detention. Dipke had recorded the message in anticipation of a possible arrest, according to media reports.

Following the announcement, Shinde urged supporters to continue towards Jantar Mantar, the planned protest venue in central Delhi. He called on demonstrators to hold protests wherever police stopped them, saying, "If the police stop you, turn that very spot into Jantar Mantar."

The planned demonstration was aimed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. CJP has demanded Kumar's resignation, alleging irregularities in the voter-list revision process.

The controversy behind the demonstration

The dispute centres on a verification exercise that resulted in approximately 130 million voter entries being removed from electoral rolls. Opposition parties and protest organisers have questioned the process, alleging that the deletions could undermine electoral fairness and disproportionately benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Election Commission has maintained that the entries removed included people who had died, relocated or could not be traced. It has also said eligible voters whose names were incorrectly deleted can re-enrol. The BJP and the poll body have denied allegations of wrongdoing.

The issue has triggered protests in several parts of India, with demonstrators demanding greater transparency in the electoral process and accountability from election authorities.

Police restrictions and the movement's next steps

Delhi authorities tightened security ahead of the planned demonstration, deploying police and paramilitary personnel and sealing off parts of the capital. Prohibitory orders were in force in central Delhi, and police had not granted permission for protests in the area.

Reuters reported that more than 2,000 people were detained in Delhi on Saturday while attempting to reach the protest. The detentions included CJP's top leadership, leaving Shinde responsible for directing the group's response.

Shinde told reporters that the movement would continue its demonstrations until Kumar resigned. His elevation to the protest's leadership therefore marks a significant test of his organisational role as CJP attempts to sustain its mobilisation without its founder and other senior leaders at the helm.

The immediate challenge for Shinde is to maintain the movement's momentum amid restrictions on public gatherings and the detention of protesters. Whether the campaign can sustain its nationwide pressure over electoral transparency remains to be seen.