Former UP IAS Divya Mittal to join politics — Other prominent bureaucrats who switched sides

Divya Mittal said her political initiative would be shaped in joint consultation with citizens. She, however, is not the first civil servant to trade administrative files for political campaigns. Check other prominent bureaucrats who switched sides… 

Divya Mittal, a 2013-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, formally announced her decision to enter politics following her resignation from the civil services.

Her announcement comes months ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

What did she say about the move?

In a video statement on X, Divya Mittal, who resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) after a 13-year career on August 30, said she wanted to create a platform that would be concerned about the country's future.

"I want to be the voice of those people whose voices cannot reach any office and, even if they do, are not heard," she said and added that she wanted to "seek an account of the country's 80 years since Independence".

On her decision to begin the political journey in Uttar Pradesh, Mittal described the state as her “karmabhoomi” and said people there had supported her during her administrative career.

“I came here as an officer, but the people here made me their daughter,” she said, adding that the state's people and soil had taught her about her purpose.

Why had she resigned?

Divya Mittal said her political initiative would be shaped in joint consultation with citizens.

She was the special secretary in the Revenue Department in Lucknow when she tendered her resignation. She had previously served as the district magistrate in Deoria, Mirzapur, and Sant Kabir Nagar.

During her tenure as Mirzapur district magistrate, she gained widespread attention after tap water was brought to Lahuriadah, a remote hill village in Halia block, for the first time, 75 years after Independence.

Locals remember her tenure in Deoria for her efforts in implementing government schemes at the grassroots level and for her decisive administrative actions.

Other prominent bureaucrats who switched to politics:

Mittal is not the first civil servant to trade administrative files for political campaigns. Over the years, several high-ranking bureaucrats have successfully transitioned into prominent political roles.

• Ashwini Vaishnaw: A 1994-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, Vaishnaw left the corporate and administrative world to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is currently a key figure in the Union Cabinet, holding portfolios including Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology.
• S. Jaishankar: A 1977-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Jaishankar served as India’s Foreign Secretary before joining the BJP. He has since become one of the most prominent faces of the government as the Minister of External Affairs.
• Arvind Kejriwal: A former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, Kejriwal left his government job to dive into anti-corruption activism before founding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He went on to become the Chief Minister of Delhi, drastically altering the capital's political landscape.
• K. Annamalai: A 2011-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Karnataka cadre, Annamalai was known as the "Singham" of Karnataka before resigning in 2019. He joined the BJP and is now serving as the President of the party's Tamil Nadu state unit.
• V.K. Pandian: A 2000-batch IAS officer, Pandian was the most powerful bureaucrat in Odisha, serving as the private secretary to former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He took voluntary retirement in 2023 to formally join the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
• Hardeep Singh Puri: A 1974-batch IFS officer who served as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Puri joined the BJP in 2014 and currently serves as the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• R.K. Singh: A 1975-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, Singh served as the Union Home Secretary. Following his retirement, he joined the BJP, became a Member of Parliament, and has held the portfolios of Power and Renewable Energy in the Union Cabinet.
• O.P. Choudhary: A 2005-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, Choudhary resigned in 2018 to join the BJP. He successfully contested the state elections and currently serves as a Cabinet Minister in the Chhattisgarh government.
• Aparajita Sarangi: A 1994-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, Sarangi took voluntary retirement in 2018 to join the BJP. She is currently a Member of Parliament representing the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency.

About the Author

Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.

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