After the stinging loss in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress has been upping its game online. That is why you will see Mamata and Abhishek behind the satirical Cockroach Janta Party. TMC MP Derek O’Brien made the endorsement public on Monday, linking the party to an internet brand that has been quick to rouse its supporters.
O’Brien put it this way: the top brass are in full support of the ‘Cockroaches’. He called it a matter of ‘fighting the good fight’. In a short note, he let on about some hard-nosed strategy sessions and what he termed a ‘steely resolve’.
All of this while the party is still picking itself up from the electoral drubbing. You can find Mamata in meetings with her senior leaders and legislators, trying to make sense of the defeat and figure out where to go from here.
What O’Brien said and why it matters
O’Brien says he has had some purposeful talks over the week with both Mamata and Abhishek. They made it known they are with the Cockroach Janta Party 100 per cent.
He was at pains to point out that the leadership is not wavering in its determination to ‘fight the good fight’. His post was a way of showing they are ready to regroup.
Who is behind Cockroach Janta Party
Abhijeet Dipke, who is based in Boston, set up the CJP on May 16. It has come to the fore in the wake of some unkind words from CJI Surya Kant, which many saw as a dig at jobless youth, comparing them to ‘cockroaches’.
It is an odd kind of symbolism, but it works. For those on board, the ‘cockroach’ is no longer an insult but a badge of honour and a means of protest.
Escalating online push and alleged clampdown
Lately the group has been at it again, calling for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to step down. They point to what they see as failures in the system and the so-called ‘leak’ of the NEET-UG 2026 paper.
Dipke claims on Saturday that there has been a crackdown. A few of his social media handles were put out of reach, a backup was yanked for a time, and he says his own Instagram was compromised.
The squeeze started a bit earlier, with the CJP’s original X handle being blocked in India on May 21. They have since re-emerged as ‘Cockroach is Back’, with 2,27,000 to their name.
Political context in Bengal
So the TMC’s nod for the CJP is part of some soul-searching after the West Bengal vote. Mamata has been in review mode with her team to see what happened and how to move forward.
In a way, by getting in with the CJP, the TMC is tapping into a movement that has the youth’s ear. It is one thing to do your organisational homework, another to be present in the online space where the action is.
Key developments at a glance
A rundown of the story so far:
– TMC puts its weight behind the Cockroach Janta Party
– O’Brien on the need to ‘fight the good fight’
– CJP makes its debut on May 16
– Dipke says he is being hounded
– Old X handle pulled in India on May 21
– 2,27,000 have flocked to the new one
– An open challenge to Pradhan on the NEET-UG 2026 issue
What comes next
If you read between the lines of O’Brien’s version, you get a sense of a leadership that wants to stand its ground. He is making no secret of his support for a movement that is all about digital clout.
At the moment, you have two things happening. The TMC is in the process of an internal reckoning, and the CJP is making noise from its new account. We will have to wait and see what the leaders and organisers have to say in the days to come.
