24 bureaucrats are in the poll fray representing various political parties.
The upcoming Lok Sabha elections has paved way for many new entrants into political parties. Most of them were famous journalists at one time. But there was a time, when bureaucrats wanted to remain in power corridors and joined politics. Yashwant Sinha, Ajit Jogi, Manishankar Aiyer, Natwar Singh and Jaswant Singh are examples of that. All of them excelled as bureaucrats before joining politics and becoming parliamentarians.
This time, 24 bureaucrats are in the poll fray representing various political parties. It can be said that they are aware of problems at ground and possible solutions because of their innings as public servant.
The first name is of former home secretary RK Singh who is a 1975-batch retired IAS. He knew inside out of the UPA government but decided to join the BJP and is now contesting from Arrah constituency in Bihar.
We all have already heard about former Kerala Governor Nikhil Kumar, a retired 1963-batch IPS officer, who has been brought back from the Raj Bhawan by Congress so that he could fight elections from Bihar’s Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat.
Another retired bureaucrat Christy Fernandez, a 1973-batch former IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, is trying his political luck as an independent (but backed by CPI-M) from Kerala’s Ernakulam constituency. Fernandez, who had served as secretary to former President Pratibha Patil, was also a contender for the post of Delhi Lieutenant Governor.
Then of course, Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party is now a household name in India. He left Indian Revenue Service mid-way to work as a social activist before plunging into active politics.
AAP too has also placed a number of IPS officers from across the country – Mizoram in the east, Maharastra in the west and Kerala in the south. M Lalmanzuala, a retired Punjab cadre IAS officer of 1967 batch, is the AAP candidate from the lone seat in Mizoram. His main rival is Congress’ sitting MP CL Ruala.
AAP has also fielded Ajit Joy, a 1992 batch former IPS officer, from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram constituency. The seat is represented by Union minister of state for human resource development Shashi Tharoor. Joy took voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service.
AAP has also given ticket to former IPS officer Suresh Khopade from Maharashtra’s Baramati seat. Khopade is contesting against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate and sitting MP Supriya Sule, daughter of Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.
Another prominent IRS-turned politician, Udit Raj, is contesting elections from Delhi.
Two former IPS officers, who happen to be brothers, are contesting from Rajasthan’s Dausa constituency. Harish Meena, a 1976-batch retired IPS officer, is contesting on a BJP ticket against his brother Namo Narain Meena. The big brother Meena is a 1969-batch retired IPS officer and Union minister of state for finance. He is contesting on a Congress ticket.
In Bihar, former IAS officer K P Ramaiah (1986-batch) is being pitted against Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar from Sasaram. Ramaiah, who has served at various positions in Bihar during his stint as an IAS officer, is contesting on a JD-U ticket. Congress’ Kumar is also a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) official. She joined IFS in 1973 and resigned from the service in 1985. She is the incumbent MP from Sasaram.
Here is the complete list of bureaucrats contesting election this year:
List of IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS officers contesting Lok Sabha Elections, 2014
Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
1. Christy Fernandez (Ex-IAS) (Independent, supported by CPI-M) Ernakulam, Kerala
2. RK Singh (Ex-IAS) (BJP), Arrah, Bihar
3. KP Ramaiah (Ex-IAS) (JD-U), Sasaram, Bihar
4. Bhagirath Prasad (Ex-IAS), (BJP), Bhind, Madhya Pradesh
5. Yudhbir Singh Khyalia (Ex-IAS) (AAP), Hisar, Haryana
6. Ajit Jogi (Ex-IAS), (Congress), Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh
Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
1. Mani Shankar Aiyar, (Ex-IFS), Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu
2. Meira Kumar (Ex-IFS) (Congress), Sasaram, Bihar
Indian Police Service (IPS)
1. Nikhil Kumar (Ex-IPS) (Congress) Aurangabad, Bihar
2. Harish Chandra Meena (Ex-IPS) (BJP), Dausa, Rajasthan
3. Namo Narain Meena (Ex-IPS) (Congress), Dausa
4. M Lalmanzuala (Ex-IPS) (AAP), Mizoram
5. Ajit Joy (Ex-IPS) (AAP), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
6. Suresh Khopade (Ex-IPS) (AAP), Baramati, Maharashtra
7. Ajay Kumar (Ex-IPS) Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
8. Rameshwar Oraon (ex-IPS) (Congress), Lohardaga, Jharkhand
9. Vishnu Dayal Ram (Ex-IPS) (BJP), Palamau, Jharkhand
10. Amitabh Choudhary (Ex-IPS), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Ranchi, Jharkhand
11. Ashish Ranjan Sinha (Ex-IPS), (Congress), Nalanda, Bihar
12. Satyapal Singh (Ex-IPS), (BJP) Baghpat, UP
13. RK Handa (Ex-IPS), (BJP) Barrackpurr
14. Sujit Kumar Ghosh (Ex-IPS), (BJP), Murshidabad, West Bengal.
Indian Revenue Service
1. Arvind Kejriwal (Ex-IRS) (AAP) Varanasi, UP
2. Udit Raj (Ex-IRS), North West Delhi
