Cockroach Janta Party gets opposition! It's called National Parasitic Front

The social media sensation Cockroach Janta Party, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, has a new challenger. But now the National Parasitic Front has arrived, and they are not here to play nice. Both outfits have positioned themselves as satirical political movements. 

Just like any other great Indian political satire, the jokes are landing since the frustrations underlying these satirical movements are real. The face-off between the Cockroach Janta Party and the National Parasitic Front began after Chief Justice of India (CJI)  Surya Kant likened unemployed youth to "cockroaches" and "parasites", triggering outrage online. 

Grab a seat — preferably one you are sure is not already occupied — because this election is unlike anything you have ever seen.

What is the National Parasitic Front? 

The National Parasitic Front is being positioned as a rival satirical online movement in opposition to the viral Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Like CJP, it operates mainly through social media and satire instead of traditional politics. 

NPF's manifesto

The party has made certain key promises to its supporters. These include: 

• It advocates for a government-assisted matchmaking scheme for every citizen above 18 years of age. "Boys get girlfriends. Girls get boyfriends," the website read.
• Believe it or not, the NPF has also promised resolution of situationship issues within 90 days, a guaranteed clarity or a government apology. If ghosted repeatedly, one shall get an emotional compensation of ₹4,999 directly in their UPI accounts.
• Moreover, a dedicated Ministry of Rizz will be established, and the minister must have a minimum rating of 4.2 on Bumble. 
• It said that prices shall be reduced "until long drives become affordable again". 
• "No more fistfights over samosa-chutney in the Parliament canteen. A neutral Biryani Committee shall resolve all food disputes," according to the website. It said any MP who is caught sleeping during the session shall have their mic turned on at full volume. 
• It mentioned that no person with a chargesheet for rape, murder or any other violent crime shall be permitted to contest elections. It added that pending criminal cases against sitting MPs shall be fast-tracked within one year. Furthermore, it stated that convicted individuals shall be barred for life and not just the duration of their sentence. 
• "Minimum 12th-pass qualification required to contest. If you can't read a budget, you can't pass one," according to the NFP website. 
• The NFP stated that potholes older than 3 months shall be named after the responsible municipal councillor on Google Maps for times immemorial. "Every under-construction sign must include a deadline. Violation = contractor fills potholes personally, in the rain." It added that train delays of more than 2 hours shall be compensated with chai and biscuits. 
• It added that colleges should offer free counselling with actual therapists and not just the "talk to your class teacher" type. 

How is it different from the Cockroach Janta Party?

The National Parasitic Front has mainly positioned itself as a satirical counter or spoof movement. The CJP, on the other hand, started as a protest movement after the controversial "cockroach" remark attributed to CJI Surya Kant. 

It does not have the same scale of public traction as the Cockroach Janta Party. The Cockroach Janta Party claims that tens of thousands of people have joined within days and gained traction from leaders like Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad and Prashant Bhushan. 

What does it say about its rivalry with the Cockroach Janta Party?

According to its website, the National Parasitic Front was "born as the formal opposition to the Cockroach Janta Party and every ecosystem of inertia they represent, the National Parasitic Front is a movement of citizens who refuse to accept governance-as-theatre." 

It further mentioned that it is serious about having educated representatives inside Parliament and "roads that don't become rivers and Wi-Fi that doesn't require eleven fire hydrant CAPTCHAs to pay an electricity bill." 

"The name is intentional. We attach ourselves to a broken system — not to feed off it, but to force it to change from within," it added.