Former Uttar Pradesh IAS officer Divya Mittal announces independent political plans

Former Uttar Pradesh-cadre IAS officer Divya Mittal has announced that she is entering politics but will not join an established political party. In a nine-minute video shared on social media, Mittal said her political journey would begin in Uttar Pradesh, which she described as her karmabhoomi, or place of work. She said she wanted to work directly with people and become a voice for concerns that often fail to reach government offices.

Her announcement followed speculation that she might join Congress after resigning from the civil service. BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao had alleged in a now-deleted social-media post that Mittal had held a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The supplied material does not provide confirmation of that meeting.

Mittal resigned on August 30 after about 13 years in the IAS. She said she had chosen politics because of experiences in administration, including an unfinished school project in Lahuria Dah village in Mirzapur district. She said funds, rules and approvals were available, but construction had not begun.

She also referred to concerns including sanctioned schools that are not built, land that is not delivered after being allotted, poor roads and examination-paper leaks. Mittal said she would not use caste as a political tool. She has not named a party, constituency or election campaign.

Her announcement comes ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, but the source says she has not stated whether she will contest. Mittal previously served as district magistrate of Sant Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur and Deoria, among other administrative roles. She is an IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore alumnus and formerly worked as an exotic derivatives trader in London.