A former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) worker who later founded the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has narrowly overtaken his former boss Arvind Kejriwal as the preferred choice for the Prime Minister’s post, according to the India Today-Cvoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey. CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke secured 1.3% support, slightly ahead of AAP chief Kejriwal at 1.2%.
Although the difference is just 0.1 percentage point, the result carries political significance. Dipke, who was part of AAP’s communications team under Kejriwal from 2020 to 2023, has recently transitioned from a political communications professional into the face of a youth-led pressure movement. His latest ranking places him marginally ahead of the leader he once worked for when respondents were asked who would be best suited to become India’s next Prime Minister.
The Mood of the Nation is a twice-yearly survey commissioned by the India Today Group for nearly two decades. The August 2026 edition was conducted by CVoter, with 25,184 people directly surveyed between July 1 and August 25. The findings also incorporated 91,795 interviews conducted during the previous six months as part of CVoter’s regular tracking exercise.
While Dipke’s 1.3% support remains considerably lower than that of the leading contenders, his position stands out when compared with Kejriwal’s 1.2%. Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to dominate the preference list, with 48.7% of respondents selecting him as the most suitable candidate for the top post. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was second at 27.1%, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who has emerged as a major political figure after entering electoral politics, ranked third with 9.2%.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee received 2%, followed by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav at 1.7%. Dipke came next with 1.3%, narrowly ahead of Kejriwal.
AFTER RAHUL GANDHI, VIJAY EMERGES AS PREFERRED OPPOSITION LEADER
When respondents were asked who among the current Opposition leaders would be best suited to lead the Opposition alliance, Kejriwal’s standing was found to have declined, while Vijay has made a significant impact.
Rahul Gandhi continues to lead the Opposition leadership preference with 29%, slightly up from 28.6% in January 2026. Vijay, who was not included among the options in earlier editions, entered the list at 12.2% and immediately secured second place. Mamata Banerjee followed at 8.5%, while Kejriwal received 7.5%.
Kejriwal’s 7.5% support as a potential Opposition alliance leader is higher than his 1.2% PM preference, but it remains far below Rahul Gandhi’s figure. More notably, his former protege Dipke has now moved ahead of him in the survey when respondents were asked to name their preferred choice for the next Prime Minister.
Dipke’s political rise has been rapid. The 30-year-old activist gained prominence after remarks by the Chief Justice of India describing unemployed youth as “cockroaches” and “parasites” sparked anger among sections of young people. In response, Dipke launched a satirical social media organisation called the Cockroach Janta Party in May.
What initially began as satire soon evolved into a broader youth movement, attracting attention well beyond its social media origins.
As the movement expanded, the CJP began focusing on young people’s concerns over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and alleged irregularities within the education system.
CJP HIGHLIGHTED PAPER LEAK ISSUE AS MOTN REFLECTED CONCERNS OVER CORRUPTION
The Dipke-led CJP began a protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 6, the same day Dipke returned from Boston. The group demanded accountability and sought the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The protest lasted 45 days and received support from various sections of society, particularly Gen Z. Social activist Sonam Wangchuk also joined the agitation and undertook a 26-day hunger strike.
The protest ended on July 25 after Pradhan resigned as Education Minister and the Centre accepted several of CJP’s demands.
Since then, the CJP has increasingly functioned as a pressure group. Its ongoing “School Thik Karo” campaign, launched on August 15, is focused on auditing government schools and seeking improvements in their functioning.
The August MOTN survey found that 43% of respondents believed corruption had increased under the NDA government. This sentiment could be linked to the public debate surrounding protests and paper leaks. Unemployment, another major concern raised during the CJP’s Jantar Mantar agitation, was identified by respondents as the biggest failure of the NDA government.
BJP ALLEGES DIPKE IS A KEJRIWAL PROXY
Dipke’s earlier association with AAP remains a major political talking point. He has not denied working with the party between 2020 and 2023. BJP leaders and CJP critics have repeatedly alleged that the organisation is effectively acting as a proxy for Kejriwal’s party.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju recently claimed in an interview with ANI that the CJP movement had been “hijacked” by AAP, citing Dipke’s previous association with the party. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has also made similar allegations, raising questions about Dipke’s foreign travel and alleged funding connections.
The latest MOTN findings could be seen as ironic by those who have made such allegations. The former AAP worker has now, albeit narrowly, moved ahead of Kejriwal himself in public preference for the country’s top political office.
For Dipke, the 0.1 percentage-point lead may be small. However, for a movement that began as a satirical “party” fuelled by the anger of young Indians, the result represents a notable milestone.
