Cockroach Janata Party Hits 9 Million Followers, Outpaces BJP’s Instagram Handle

The Cockroach Janata Party has rapidly become one of India's biggest online political talking points after crossing 9 million followers on Instagram within days of launch. The satirical political page has now overtaken the official Instagram account of the Bharatiya Janata Party, drawing widespread attention across the country's digital and political spaces.

As of May 21, the BJP's official Instagram handle @bjp4india had around 8.7 million followers. The Indian National Congress account @incindia remained ahead with nearly 13.2 million followers, while the Aam Aadmi Party had close to 1.9 million followers on Instagram. Against this backdrop, the Cockroach Janata Party's sudden rise has made it one of the fastest-growing political satire pages in India in recent years.

The account was launched by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old from Aurangabad. Dipke recently completed a Master's degree in Public Relations from Boston University in the United States. On Instagram, he refers to himself as the "Founding President" of the Cockroach Janata Party, while the page bio describes it as "A political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth."

Before moving to the US for higher studies, Dipke reportedly worked with the social media team of the Aam Aadmi Party. Reports suggest he was searching for jobs in Boston shortly before the satirical page unexpectedly exploded online.

The controversy surrounding the page began after remarks allegedly made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing triggered outrage on social media. According to reports, the Chief Justice allegedly used the words "cockroaches" and "parasites" while referring to certain social media users. The comments sparked criticism online, especially among younger users, and soon after, the Cockroach Janata Party page appeared on Instagram.

Following the backlash, Surya Kant issued a clarification stating that his remarks had been misrepresented. He explained that the comments were directed at people using fake degrees to enter professions such as law and media, and not at India's youth. He also said he respected young Indians and viewed them as important to the country's future.

Despite its humorous tone and meme-driven content, the Cockroach Janata Party focuses on issues such as unemployment, exam paper leaks, institutional accountability and media independence. The page presents itself as a youth-led satirical movement that uses social media to highlight political and governance concerns.

The movement has also started attracting attention from mainstream politicians. Akhilesh Yadav and Mahua Moitra are among the political figures who have amplified or reacted to the trend online.

Although the Cockroach Janata Party currently exists only as a digital satire platform and is not a registered political party, its rapid Instagram growth highlights how social media-driven political humour can quickly influence public conversations in India. The page's sudden rise past the BJP's follower count has especially drawn attention to the growing role of youth-led online satire in shaping political narratives.