Lucknow: Former IAS officer Divya Mittal has announced her entry into politics, saying she will begin her political journey from Uttar Pradesh but will not join any political party.
In a video released on social media, Mittal said she wants to work with people and develop a political platform focused on issues raised by ordinary citizens. She described Uttar Pradesh as her karmabhoomi and said she intends to begin her new public role in the state. Her announcement follows the end of her 13-year career in the Indian Administrative Service.
Divya Mittal Says She Will Enter Politics Independently
Mittal said she had taken time to decide her next step after resigning from the IAS and that she had received questions about whether she would join a political party.
Read Also: Divya Mittal’s IAS Resignation Accepted, 2013-Batch UP Officer to Exit Service on Sep 15
She said she would not associate herself with any political party and instead wanted to work with citizens to build a political platform. She said her stated focus would be on issues faced by people and on bringing those concerns into the public sphere.
Why Uttar Pradesh?
Mittal said Uttar Pradesh was not merely a place where she worked as an administrator but a state where she developed a close connection with people.
She said she wanted to begin her political journey from the state and urged people not to wait for an individual to solve their problems, arguing that citizens themselves should participate in bringing about change.
Issues She Wants to Raise
In the video, Mittal referred to several issues from her administrative experience, including access to education, land-related grievances, roads, bridges, road safety and examination paper leaks.
She recalled an interaction with a woman in Lahuria Dah in Mirzapur while she was overseeing work related to water supply. According to Mittal, the woman asked for a higher class to be started at the local school because the village school ended at Class 5.
Mittal said she subsequently looked into the approval process for the school and questioned why construction had not begun despite the approval.
Land Records, Roads and Accountability
Mittal also described an incident from her tenure as Special Secretary in the Revenue Department involving a person who had documents relating to a government land lease but, according to her account, had not received possession of the land.
She said that after examining the records, she found discrepancies in a report concerning the matter and that action followed against the person responsible for preparing it.
She also spoke about roads and bridges in rural areas, saying she wants to raise questions about delays in addressing infrastructure problems and road safety.
Education, Paper Leaks and AI
The former IAS officer also discussed challenges faced by young people, including examination paper leaks and employment concerns linked to the increasing use of artificial intelligence.
She said students invest years preparing for competitive examinations and that irregularities in the examination process can affect their efforts. She also raised questions about how technological changes, including AI, could affect employment opportunities in the future.
Four Themes for Her Proposed Politics
Mittal identified four words — intention, justice, concern and thinking — while describing the principles she wants to associate with her political work.
She said her objective was not simply to replace one politician with another but to seek changes in how politics responds to citizens’ problems.
She also said she did not intend to base her political work on caste or religious calculations and said she would seek public support rather than relying on money or muscle power.
What Happened to Her IAS Career?
Mittal, a 2013-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh-cadre, announced her resignation on August 30, 2026, after around 13 years in the service. At the time, she cited personal reasons, family priorities and new goals in life. Her resignation was subsequently accepted and became effective on September 15, 2026.
Before leaving the service, Mittal was serving as Special Secretary in the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Department. She had earlier served as District Magistrate in districts including Mirzapur, Sant Kabir Nagar and Deoria.
From London to the IAS
Mittal studied engineering at IIT Delhi and completed an MBA from IIM Bangalore before working in London. She later returned to India, prepared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination and joined the IAS in 2013.
During her tenure in Mirzapur, she received attention for efforts to provide piped water to Lahuria Dah, a remote village where residents had relied on tanker supplies.
Political Reactions After Her Resignation
Following Mittal’s resignation, Congress leader Ajay Rai said that his party could consider her if she chose to contest an election. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also commented on her resignation and raised allegations concerning pressure on officers.
Mittal’s latest announcement now confirms that she intends to enter politics independently, with Uttar Pradesh as the starting point of her proposed political journey.
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