Who are Saurav Das, Vijeta Dahiya and Ashutosh Ranka: Three spokespersons of the Cockroach Janata Party

Sometimes, satire can become serious and when it comes to the Indian political landscape, the transition is frequent and normal enough. This is why a party once started as a political satire is now expected to change the future of politics in the country by transforming into a formal organisation.

When the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was started, the founder Abhijeet Dipke created a satirical political group after Chief Justice Surya Kant compared unemployed youth to 'cockroaches'. However, within two days, it drew more than 40,000 members with many politicians joining the group. Now, while Dipke announced that he would be returning to India from the US, he also revealed three official spokespersons: Saurav Das, Vijeta Dahiya and Ashutosh Ranka. Here's who they are:

Saurav Das: Chief Spokesperson

Saurav Das, an investigative journalist is known for his work on governance, transparency and judicial accountability. Based in New Delhi, he has built a reputation through independent investigative reporting focused on law, governance, crime, the judiciary and public accountability. A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, he formally began his professional writing career in 2020.

In 2017, he started using the Right to Information Act (RTI) to obtain government records and documents related to matters of public interest. Over the years, his work has appeared in publications including The Caravan, Article 14, Al Jazeera, The Wire, The Hindu, and New Lines Magazine. He is also a co-founder of Climate Action Front, reflecting his involvement in civic and policy issues beyond journalism.

Vijeta Dahiya: Official Spokesperson

Vijeta Dahiya is a political researcher, writer, filmmaker and content creator. He has authored two best-selling books, 'Power of Universe' and 'To Hell With That Job'. He has also written and directed the Haryanvi films "Dararein" and "Opri Paraai." He has also been known to work with YouTube creator Dhruv Rathee, being a part of his research and writing team. An alumnus of Delhi Technological University (DTU), he maintains an active presence on social media, where he often shares his views on politics, governance and current affairs. On X (formerly Twitter), he described himself as an admirer of figures such as Bhagat Singh, Swami Vivekananda, Rosa Luxemburg, and Buddha.

Ashutosh Ranka: Official Spokesperson

The third spokesperson for CJP is Ashutosh Ranka, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the London School of Economics. He served as a consultant for McKinsey & Company in London. In 2025, he returned to India and “has led several public movements in Jaipur focused on environmental, educational and youth issues, such as Dol Ka Badh, Amaira Suicide case, and NEET Paper leak”, CJP wrote in its announcement.

Hailing from Jaipur, Rajasthan, he graduated with a B.Tech in Materials Science and Engineering from IIT Kanpur. During this time, he served as President of the Students' Gymkhana for the academic year of 2016-17. Next, he pursued a Master's in Public Administration from the London School of Economics, where he focused on public policy and governance. He joined McKinsey as a management consultant and later returned to India to focus on social activism. He has also worked as an associate fellow with the Aam Aadmi Party.

Many believe CJP might finally be the thing that brings in the frustrated Indian youth into politics. What are your thoughts about this quirky party?