In an unprecedented display of digital velocity, the newly formed satirical political outfit, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), announced that its Instagram following has overtaken that of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) within just four days of launching.
As of today, the CJP’s Instagram handle has reached an astonishing 8.8 million followers and continues to climb, pulling ahead of the BJP’s official Instagram page, which stands at 8.7 million.
The hyper-ironic youth movement has radically disrupted India’s established online political landscape. By capturing a massive Gen-Z and millennial audience through memes and sharp political satire, the CJP has swiftly outpaced several long-standing mainstream parties on Instagram.
While the Indian National Congress continues to maintain the largest overall presence on the platform with 13.2 million followers, the CJP’s accelerating growth has firmly positioned it as India’s second most-followed political page on Instagram. In comparison, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has around 1.9 million Instagram followers as of today.
The CJP also shared posts across social media platforms featuring a cartoon cockroach and a lotus, an apparent reference to the BJP, along with the tagline: “Don’t underestimate the power of youth!
The CJP’s presence on X (formerly Twitter) has also scaled rapidly, surpassing 162,000 followers, alongside over 350,000 formal online membership sign-ups.
From Controversial Remark to Viral Movement
The Cockroach Janta Party originated on May 16, 2026, according to the movement’s website. The party was founded by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, who is based in the United States.
The name “Cockroach Janta Party” emerged following a controversial “cockroaches” remark allegedly made during a court hearing.
During a court hearing on Friday, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant reportedly made an oral observation comparing certain unemployed youth to “cockroaches,” sparking widespread debate online. However, Justice Kant later clarified that his comments were aimed at individuals entering professions using “fake and bogus degrees,” and not at the youth of the country, adding that his observations had been misquoted by a section of the media.
Nevertheless, the controversy resonated strongly with many young Indians already frustrated by unemployment, underemployment, and recent scandals involving competitive examinations.
The 5-Point Agenda
The CJP’s official website, cockroachjantaparty.org, outlines a sharply worded five-point manifesto targeting key aspects of India’s political, judicial, and media systems.
According to the website, the movement claims it “does not check religion, caste, or gender” for membership. Instead, members must meet four conditions: being unemployed, lazy, chronically online, and able to “rant professionally.”