A journalist, an engineer, a lawyer, two chartered accountants, an entrepreneur and a hotel management graduate may not sound like the usual line-up for a youth-focused political campaign. But these are among the 12 people who will now steer the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) as it seeks to take its campaign beyond the streets and expand its footprint across the country.The newly announced team brings together professionals from journalism, technology, law, public policy, finance and business, a mix the organisation says reflects the kind of young, professionally diverse leadership it hopes to build.The announcement came days after the CJP ended its 36-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar following the acceptance of its key demands. At a two-day meeting in Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra, the group unveiled its organisational structure for the next six months and reiterated that it has no plans to form a political party.
The founder and the convenors
Abhijeet Dipke (30), a resident of Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra, holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Pune and a master’s degree in Public Relations from Boston University, USA. He has been named Founder and National Convener.Ashutosh Ranka (30), a resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan, holds a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the London School of Economics. He takes on the role of Co-Convener.Saurav Das (27), a resident of Delhi, holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has also been named Co-Convener.
Organisation and zonal charge
Ajinkya Shinde (35), a resident of Latur, Maharashtra, holds a B.Tech degree from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University (DBATU), Lonere, Raigad, Maharashtra. He has been made National Organisation In-Charge.Deepak Baliyan (26), a resident of Alwar, Rajasthan, holds a master’s degree in Political Science from Bharatpur. He comes from a farming family and has been actively associated with agrarian movements. He has been named Organisation Co-In-Charge and Head of the North Zone.Yogesh Ingale (33), a resident of Pune, Maharashtra, is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and takes charge as Finance Lead and Head of the West Zone.Ankit Bharadwaj (35), a resident of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, is also a Chartered Accountant (CA). He has been named In-Charge and Head of the East and North-East Zones.Vijay Reddy Mallangi (30), a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana, holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from Osmania University and a master’s degree in Applied Science from Columbia University. He has been named Media Lead and Head of the South Zone.
Legal, policy and business roles
Ratna Singh (31), a resident of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, holds a Bachelor of Legislative Law (LL.B.) degree from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, and has been named Legal Affairs Lead.Vaishnavi Gaur (29), a resident of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Legislative Law (BA LL.B.) (Hons.) degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She has been named Research and Policy Lead.Aafreen Nawaz (34), a resident of Bengaluru, Karnataka, holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and currently runs her own venture as an entrepreneur. She has been named National Secretary.Rohan Deshpande (31), a resident of Mumbai, holds a degree in Hotel Management from the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Mumbai. He has been named Technology Lead, rounding out a team where academic background does not always map onto assigned role.
A team, not yet a party
Twelve names, six zones and a spread of degrees from IIT Kanpur to the London School of Economics to a hotel management institute in Mumbai. What emerges is a leadership structure built less around political experience and more around professional credentials, at least on paper.The CJP has been clear that this restructuring is not a step towards electoral politics. Whether that position holds over the next six months, as the organisation attempts to move its base beyond Jantar Mantar and into a national footprint, remains to be seen.
