Move Over BJP & Congress - The ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ Is India’s Hottest Instagram Account Right Now

India’s political social media landscape just got a wildly unexpected shake-up — and no, it’s not from any mainstream party.

A satirical online movement called the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has taken Instagram by storm, amassing over 9.3 million followers within just four days of launching its account (@cockroachjantaparty) — overtaking the BJP’s official handle @bjp4india, which sits at approximately 8.7 million followers.

As of today, the CJP has crossed 16 million Instagram followers, surpassing both BJP and Congress.

How did this all start?

The campaign emerged on May 16, sparked by Chief Justice Surya Kant’s alleged remarks during a Supreme Court hearing. What began as a humorous comment on X quickly went viral among young Indians, with the Instagram account launching the very next day.

The numbers are jaw-dropping. The account racked up 3 million followers within just 78 hours of launch - all with only 56 posts shared so far.  Meanwhile, the BJP’s official Instagram page has over 18,000 posts  to show for its follower count.

What’s the party actually about?

The platform describes itself as a “political platform of the youth, for the youth, and by the youth,” with posts focused on unemployment, political accountability, exam paper leaks, and other issues affecting India’s young generation. 

After flying past the BJP in follower count, the CJP didn’t hold back. One post declared “Don’t underestimate the power of youth,” while another - “The World’s Largest Party They Said” — took a pointed dig at BJP’s organisational strength.

Congress still leads with roughly 13.3 million followers on @incindia , though the CJP has now reportedly crossed even that milestone.

Worth noting: Even as the follower count surged, the CJP’s X (formerly Twitter) account was withheld in India - adding another twist to an already dramatic story.

Political analysts see this as a sign of growing youth resentment and a new era of social media-based political expression in India. 

Whether it translates into anything beyond viral buzz remains to be seen - but for now, the cockroaches have the internet.