Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke backed MPSC aspirants following a meeting at his Waluj residence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The party set a September 24 deadline for MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar and Secretary Mahendra Harpalkar to step down.
Abhijeet Dipke warned of launching a statewide tour across Maharashtra if top commission officials fail to submit their resignations.
Abhijeet Dipke has backed protesting job candidates. The Cockroach Janta Party founder decided to participate in demonstrations over reported test leaks and flaws during digital exams held by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.
The party has set September 24 as the deadline for its demand that MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar and Secretary Mahendra Harpalkar resign. The announcement came after a group of aspirants met Dipke at his residence in the Waluj area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Dipke confirmed his backing after the meeting. The move comes as protests over alleged exam leaks, recruitment delays and demands for greater transparency have spread across Maharashtra.
Protest Threats Escalate
The agitation will continue. The CJP said the campaign seeking the resignation of the MPSC chairman and secretary would go on. If the two officials do not step down by September 24, Dipke and party members will undertake a statewide tour to meet MPSC aspirants and raise their concerns, the party said.
Dipke and other CJP members will also join the ongoing protests by MPSC aspirants. After meeting the aspirants, Dipke said in a video message to PTI, "The CJP and I are with MPSC aspirants in this fight. We will stand with the aspirants till the resignations (of top MPSC officials)."
Aspirants Press For Transparency
The protests have widened. MPSC aspirants have held demonstrations at several places across Maharashtra. They are seeking greater transparency in the recruitment process and action over alleged paper leaks and other irregularities in various examinations conducted by the commission, Times of India reported.
The protests have centred on demands for accountability and transparency in the conduct of MPSC examinations. The agitation has also drawn attention to recurring recruitment delays.
Commission Rejects Resignation Demand
Bhimanwar has rejected the demand. As of September 8, 2026, Bhimanwar rejected calls for his resignation. He said the Drug Inspector exam question paper leak predated his tenure and added that the MPSC had cancelled the affected recruitment process, filed a police complaint and set up an internal committee on security protocols.
The exam at the centre of the row is the MPSC Drug Inspector (Group-B) screening examination. It was held in March 2026 for the Food and Drug Administration department and was cancelled in August 2026 after a Mumbai Crime Branch probe uncovered question paper leaks.
As of September 2026, Bhimanwar is the MPSC chairman and Harpalkar is the commission’s secretary.
