Archive · 31 Jul 2026
Senas Reach Out to Dipke After CJP Success
Abhijeet Dipke is a young student who started a protest called the Cockroach Janta Party to ask the government to fix problems with a big exam.
His protest was very popular and made the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan quit.
After that, two groups of politicians in Maharashtra, both called Shiv Sena, started talking to Dipke.
One group, led by Uddhav Thackeray, had already been supporting him while the protest was happening.
The other group, led by Eknath Shinde, only started talking to him after the protest finished.
They visited his house and said they were proud of his work.
Dipke says he does not want to join a political party and that the protest was for all students.
The two groups are trying to keep a good relationship with him because he is popular with young voters.
Both Shiv Sena factions now reach out to youth leader Abhijeet Dipke after the CJP agitation forced Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
Uddhav Thackeray’s UBT backed Dipke from the start, while the Shinde‑led Sena engaged only after the movement’s success.
Leaders Sanjay Shirsat, MLC Bachchu Kadu, and Uddhav Thackeray have visited Dipke’s home or spoken with him, praising the agitation.
Dipke remains independent, refusing to join a party and emphasizing the movement was a student victory.
The differing outreach reflects each Sena’s political strategy toward the CJP movement.
- Who
- Abhijeet Dipke, a youth leader; Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader; Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader
- What
- Political outreach to Dipke by both Shiv Sena factions after the CJP agitation
- When
- Shortly after the CJP agitation, mid‑July 2024
- Where
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, India
- Why
- To align with a popular youth movement that achieved a political victory and to maintain influence among young voters
- Event
- Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) agitation
- Key figure
- Abhijeet Dipke
- Outcome
- Resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
- Political parties involved
- Shiv Sena (UBT) and Shiv Sena (Shinde)
- Location of outreach
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra