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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which emerged as the face of the nationwide student protests over examination irregularities, has ruled out any immediate plans to transform into a political party, saying its focus remains on expanding the movement at the grassroots level.

The clarification comes amid growing speculation over whether the youth-led outfit would enter electoral politics ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls after leading the campaign that culminated in the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Instead, CJP leaders say the organisation will use its momentum to strengthen its presence across the country and build a broader people-centric movement.

CJP Leadership Holds Strategy Meet in Maharashtra

The group's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, spokespersons Saurav Das and Vaishnavi Gaur, along with other core members, are meeting in Maharashtra for a two-day strategy session to chart the movement's next phase.

Addressing the media, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the meeting was convened after many supporters asked what direction the movement would take following its success.

"We were asked questions about where this movement will go after the success of the protest, and we have all come to strategise around the same. We will hold discussions over it and think about how to take it to grassroots level. When we come up with something concrete on August 6, we will inform everyone about our future strategy," Das said.

'CJP Is a Movement, Not a Political Party'

Rejecting speculation that the organisation could soon contest elections, Das said CJP does not see itself as another political party.

"While there are numerous political parties, the answer to people's pain is not another political party, but an awakening at the grassroots level, and this is what CJP is doing," he said.

He added that the movement wants to engage directly with people who have supported it, understand their concerns and formulate an agenda focused on young people.

Youth-Centric Agenda to Drive Next Phase

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the organisation would consult Gen Z and other young people on the issues they want the movement to champion.

"The purpose will be to form the agenda for the Cockroach Janta Party and discuss how we can take this social movement forward," Dipke told Reuters.

The core committee meeting will also review the recent Jantar Mantar protest, discuss organisational expansion and finalise a roadmap for building a grassroots network with workers across districts.

"Our core team members, including our spokespersons and everyone who helped us manage the protest, will be attending. All our core members will be here. As of now, we have no plans to form a political party," Dipke said.

Das said the organisation intends to raise youth-centric issues while expanding its presence across the country.

"The movement is about accountability. The issues that we want to raise are all going to be youth-centric. We want to take this movement to the grassroots because people at the grassroots face a lot of issues and nobody hears them out," he said.