Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday dismissed claims of youth frustration, alleging that the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical platform started by digital strategist Abhijit Dipke, was created by the Opposition. He compared it to the earlier “Constitution in danger” narrative before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and predicted it would fade quickly.
Saini asked about the party’s lifespan when questioned on its social media reach, which has exceeded 22 million followers on Instagram, outpacing the combined totals of the BJP and Congress shortly after launch.
He said he met young people that morning and found no signs of disappointment. Not one person expressed frustration, he added during an event in New Delhi.
The Opposition had promoted the idea before the Lok Sabha elections that the Constitution would face risk if the BJP secured over 400 seats. Saini noted that a Congress leader who carries a copy of the Constitution and warns of threats has overlooked how often that party changed it previously.
Over the past 11 and a half years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken measures to safeguard the Constitution, including the removal of Article 370 to achieve one nation and one Constitution, the Chief Minister stated.
Before the 2024 polls, the INDIA bloc led by Congress had argued that the BJP’s goal of more than 400 seats aimed at altering the Constitution.
Saini, who has visited Punjab often, said Modi would serve as the BJP’s face in next year’s Punjab Assembly elections, similar to West Bengal where the party achieved a strong result and formed its first government there.
He said the party would campaign under Modi’s leadership and, upon victory, install a capable Chief Minister, as occurred in West Bengal. The BJP contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls independently in Punjab after parting ways with its former ally and won no seats.
Saini described Haryana and Punjab as connected, noting that residents there observe Haryana’s governance while the AAP government in Punjab has struggled to meet expectations. The BJP holds two seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.
The Chief Minister belongs to the Saini community, which has influence in parts of Punjab, and his mother is from the Jat Sikh community that forms a significant share of the state’s population.
Saini mentioned that Haryana officials in every district were directed to support specific areas in Punjab for flood relief coordination.
