Who is Ajinkya Shinde, the techie-turned-leader of the Cockroach Janta Party agitation

Ajinkya Shinde's name is doing the rounds these days during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. A day earlier, party founder Abhijeet Dipke had released a video saying that Shinde would lead the movement after his arrest.

Since then, Shinde has remained in the spotlight on social media. People are following him and want to know more about him. Many are also asking how Shinde, who once worked at an IT company, entered politics. His journey, from engineering studies to a link with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and then a key role in the CJP agitation, raises several questions.

Shinde hails from Ujani village in Ausa tehsil of Maharashtra's Latur district. His family is engaged in farming. He studied computer science and holds a BTech degree from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University (BATU) in Lonere, Raigad district. After completing his studies, he worked at an international IT company in Pune. Over time, his interest in social and political issues grew, and he left his corporate job to take up politics.

After leaving his job, Shinde joined the AAP. There he was given the responsibility of strengthening the organisation and working among the youth. He served as the party's convener in Pimpri-Chinchwad and was also given a role in its Maharashtra youth wing. He also handled social media work. He played an important part in the organisation's events in Goa as well as in Maharashtra. After these experiences, he joined the CJP, and in August 2026 he was made the party's national organisation in-charge.

The CJP held demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in June and July 2026. Shinde played an important role in managing the crowd and the arrangements behind the stage. Then, in October 2026, Delhi Police detained party founder Abhijeet Dipke, co-convener Ashutosh Ranka and chief spokesperson Saurabh Das. After that, Shinde emerged as the main face of the movement. Following a message pre-recorded by Dipke, he took full charge of the agitation.