After more than a month of protests, what's next for the Cockroach Janta Party?

The BJP has consistently managed political perception with great care, projecting itself as a strong, unshakable political force and reinforcing the image of an electoral wave firmly in its favour. But the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), for the first time, appears to have disrupted that perception. BJP managers, who initially took the movement lightly, have now, after two months, not only agreed to hold talks with the non-political outfit but are also listening to its demands with greater consideration.

Students at Jantar Mantar, the epicentre of the protest, seem reluctant to leave the site unless the government either sacks Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan or he resigns from his position.

Even though the government has decided to set up fast-track courts to address the paper leak issue, and Sonam Wangchuk has ended his 26-day hunger strike, protesters continue to raise slogans demanding Pradhan's resignation.

Preeti, a student from Delhi University, says the protests will continue until the demands are met, regardless of what CJP or Wangchuk decides. "CJP and Sonam Wangchuk have been intermediaries for our emotions and our demands. Even if they step aside, someone else will take up the role and lead the movement," she says. "We are all leaders here. We are not looking up to any particular figure to follow because we all share the same demands."

During the second round of talks between CJP leaders and government representatives Jitendra Singh and JP Nadda, CJP leaders Ashutosh and Saurav Das said they had placed one non-negotiable demand on the table: the resignation of Pradhan. Without that, they said, there could be no further discussion, apart from seeking the release of students detained during the protests and ₹1 crore compensation for the families of students who died by suicide.

There appears to be a growing sense of betrayal among protesters, and political analysts believe that if the government does not address their demands, the anger could crystallise into anti-BJP sentiment on the ground.

There is also an electoral dimension to the protests, with the BJP set to contest by-elections in three states. On July 30, bypolls will be held in Gujarat, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. In all three constituencies—Manjalpur, Bankipur and Daita—the BJP is a major player. Sources in these constituencies say the CJP-led protests in Delhi are beginning to resonate locally as well. While Manjalpur and Bankipur have long been BJP bastions, Daita is considered more favourable to the Congress.

However, a Jan Suraj leader in Bankipur, where Prashant Kishor is contesting against the BJP, said the student protests have spilled over into Bihar as well. "It will have its role to play in the election. How much it will help us electorally cannot be said, but it is certainly having an impact," the leader said.