A youth-led movement known as the “Cockroach Janata Party,” or CJP, has emerged as a new political challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP in India, analysts say. After seven weeks of protests, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. The BJP also lost two of three by-elections held in the first week of August, including the Bankipur seat in Bihar, which it had held for nearly three decades.

The movement grew from youth anger over unemployment, leaked job-exam papers and the education system. It began as a satirical Instagram platform in May, prompted by a comment from India’s chief justice, and later became a symbol for student and youth protests spreading beyond Delhi to cities across India. Participants have included young people from different religions, castes and social classes, including upper-caste Hindu youth identified as BJP supporters.

The BJP has responded with videos by Modi and new social-media outreach efforts, including a special youth contact programme in Uttar Pradesh. Analysts say such campaigns have often drawn criticism and mockery, while older tactics of portraying protesters as anti-national or foreign-funded have been less effective. They caution that the movement has not immediately weakened BJP power, but say youth grievances could become a major political issue.