On Sunday, Oct. 10, Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, marched into a packed assembly in Pune and shouted his backing for the MPSC aspirants, calling for Chairman Rajesh Bhimanwar’s resignation.
The protest, led by NCP’s Rohit Pawar, has already drawn 20 lakh aspirants who allege repeated paper leaks have compromised the State Services Main Examination. In a move that echoed their frustration, the Commission announced on Oct. 9 that the exam scheduled for Oct. 3 would be postponed, along with the Civil Engineering and Group‑B mains.
Dipke slammed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for appointing his ‘friend’ as chairman, arguing the decision was driven by corruption rather than merit. He echoed earlier calls by the CJP for the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The demonstrators have vowed to stay in the hall until Bhimanwar steps down, and the party has pledged unwavering support. A government press release is expected early next week to detail any change in the chairman’s position or a revised timetable for the exams.