Lucknow, September 29 (TNA) Former Uttar Pradesh-cadre IAS officer Divya Mittal has ended the suspense over her next move after resigning from the civil services, announcing that she will enter politics but will not join any political party. She said she wants to build a people-led political platform focused on public issues and local problems.
In a video message, Mittal said her political journey would begin in Uttar Pradesh, where she served for several years and developed a close connection with the people. She appealed to citizens not to wait for a single “messiah” and said meaningful change would require people to take the lead themselves.
Mittal said her entry into politics would not be aimed at securing a post or replacing one politician with another. She said she wanted to raise the concerns of people whose voices often fail to reach government offices or remain unheard even after reaching them.
Focus on Accountability
Drawing on her administrative experience, the former bureaucrat highlighted problems related to rural schools, drinking water, land rights, roads and bridges. She cited a woman in Mirzapur’s Lahuriadih area who sought to open higher classes at a village school so children would not have to travel long distances for further education.
She also spoke about delays in giving beneficiaries possession of allotted land, poor road conditions, and pothole-related deaths. Mittal said such incidents should not be treated merely as accidents and argued that responsibility must be fixed on officials and agencies aware of the problems.
She raised concerns over examination paper leaks and the future of young people in the age of artificial intelligence. As the mother of two daughters, she said she was worried about employment and the opportunities available to the next generation.
Four-Point Political Approach
Mittal described her proposed political approach through four words: intention, justice, concern and vision. She said politics should focus on solving people’s problems instead of treating citizens merely as electoral numbers.
She ruled out relying on money, muscle power or caste and religious calculations. Mittal said she wanted public resources to be spent on roads, bridges, schools and other basic facilities rather than on expensive election campaigns.
The former IAS officer also referred to social-media claims made after her resignation and alleged that a political spokesperson had attributed a meeting to her that, according to her, never took place. She said such claims and trolling should not be used to intimidate women entering public life.
Resignation Effective September 15
Mittal, a 2013-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, had announced her resignation on August 30 after around 13 years in the administrative service. The resignation, which she attributed to personal, family and life-related considerations, took effect on September 15 after being accepted by the central government.
She studied at IIT Delhi and IIM Bengaluru before working in London and later returning to India to prepare for the UPSC examination. During her administrative career, she held responsibilities in several Uttar Pradesh districts and served as the district magistrate of Mirzapur.
Her resignation had triggered political reactions, with Congress leader Ajay Rai saying the party could consider her candidature if she decided to contest elections. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had also raised questions about alleged pressure on officials in Uttar Pradesh, although Mittal herself described her resignation as a carefully considered personal decision.