CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke has emerged as a more preferred choice for the post of Prime Minister than AAP chief Kejriwal, with the latest MOTN survey putting Dipke at 1.3% against Kejriwal's 1.2%.
Dipke, to the CJI's remarks, responded by creating a satirical social media outfit called the Cockroach Janta Party in May.
DIPKE IS KEJRIWAL'S PROXY ALLEGED BJP, MAKES MOTN RESULT INTERESTINGYet Dipke's past association with the AAP remains a political talking point.
BJP leaders and critics of CJP have repeatedly alleged that the organisation is effectively a proxy for Kejriwal's party.
This might equally surprise those who allege Kejriwal is the guru (mentor) of Dipke.
A former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) worker who went on to create the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has now edged past his former boss Arvind Kejriwal as the preferred choice for the prime ministerial chair, according to the India Today-Cvoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey. CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke has emerged as a more preferred choice for the post of Prime Minister than AAP chief Kejriwal, with the latest MOTN survey putting Dipke at 1.3% against Kejriwal's 1.2%.
Read Full Story
The difference may be only 0.1 percentage point, but the political symbolism is hard to miss. Dipke, who worked with the AAP's communications team under Kejriwal's leadership from 2020 to 2023, has in recent months transformed himself from a political communications professional into the face of a youth-driven pressure movement. Dipke's rise has now placed him marginally ahead of the man for whom he once worked when respondents were asked who they thought was best suited to become India's next Prime Minister.
The Mood of the Nation is a bi-annual survey that's been commissioned by the India Today Group for around two decades now. The August 2026 edition was conducted by CVoter with a sample of 25,184 people directly surveyed between July 1 and August 25. Another set of 91,795 interviews conducted over the last six months as part of CVoter's regular tracking were also used to formulate the findings of the August Mood of the Nation 2026.
While Dipke's 1.3% is a relatively small number compared with the leading contenders, his position becomes striking when placed alongside Kejriwal's. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains the overwhelming favourite, with 48.7% of respondents choosing him as the best suited to be the next PM. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi follows at 27.1%, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who has emerged as a major political force after entering electoral politics, is third with 9.2%.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is at 2%, followed by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav at 1.7%. Dipke, at 1.3%, is next, who is narrowly ahead of Kejriwal at 1.2%.
AFTER RAHUL GANDHI, VIJAY MOST-PREFERRED OPPOSITION LEADER CHOICE
When asked who among the current Opposition leaders is best suited to lead the Opposition alliance? Kejriwal's popularity has been depreciating and another newcomer, Vijay, has made a much bigger impact.
Rahul Gandhi continues to dominate the Opposition leadership preference with 29%, up marginally from 28.6% in January 2026. Vijay, who was not among the listed choices in previous editions, enters the table at 12.2% and immediately takes the second position. Mamata Banerjee is third at 8.5%, while Kejriwal stands at 7.5%.
Kejriwal's 7.5% preference as the Opposition alliance's potential leader is itself higher than his PM preference, but it represents only a fraction of the support enjoyed by Rahul Gandhi. More importantly, the latest figures put the protege Dipke, who was moulded under his mentorship, ahead of him when respondents were asked about the next PM.
advertisement
Dipke's political journey has been phenomenal. The 30-year-old activist rose to prominence after remarks by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) describing unemployed youth as "cockroaches" and "parasites" triggered anger among sections of young people. Dipke, to the CJI's remarks, responded by creating a satirical social media outfit called the Cockroach Janta Party in May. What began as satire quickly grew into a wider youth movement, drawing attention far beyond its original social-media identity.
As the movement gained momentum, CJP positioned itself around the frustration of young people over the National-Entrance-cum-Eligibity-Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 paper leak and alleged irregularities in the education system.
CJP RAISED ISSUE OF PAPER LEAK, MOTN FOUND TRACTION ON CORRUPTION
The Dipke-led CJP organised a protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar beginning June 6 — Dipke landed from Boston on the same day — demanding accountability and the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The agitation continued for 45 days and attracted support from different sections — largely from Gen Z, with social activist Sonam Wangchuk undertaking a 26-day fast. The protest culminated on July 25 after Pradhan resigned as Education Minister and the Centre accepted several of CJP's demands.
advertisement
Since then, the CJP has taken the shape of a pressure group. Its ongoing 'School Thik Karo' (fix the school) campaign launched on August 15 is now focusing on auditing government schools and demanding improvements in their functioning.
The August MOTN found that 43% of those surveyed said corruption increased under the NDA government. That could be a result of the protests and discussions on paper leaks. Unemployment, another issue discussed at CJP's Jantar Mantar protest, was polled as the biggest failure of the NDA government.
DIPKE IS KEJRIWAL'S PROXY ALLEGED BJP, MAKES MOTN RESULT INTERESTING
Yet Dipke's past association with the AAP remains a political talking point. He has never rejected claims that he worked for the party between 2020 and 2023. BJP leaders and critics of CJP have repeatedly alleged that the organisation is effectively a proxy for Kejriwal's party.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju recently alleged in an interview with ANI that the CJP movement had been "hijacked" by the AAP, pointing to Dipke's past association with the party. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has also made similar allegations, questioning Dipke's foreign travel and alleged funding links.
advertisement
The latest MOTN survey would amuse those who were levelling those charges. The former AAP worker has now, at least marginally, moved ahead of Kejriwal himself in the public's preference for the country's top political post. This might equally surprise those who allege Kejriwal is the guru (mentor) of Dipke.
For Dipke, the 0.1%-point edge might be modest. But for a movement that began as a satirical "party" built around the anger of young Indians, it is a high point.
- Ends
Published By: Avinash Kateel Published On: Aug 28, 2026 12:57 IST
