Politics is no long restricted to politicians alone. Nearly half a dozen former IAS and IPS officials are likely to be in fray in the upcoming Assembly elections from various political parties.
These retired IAS and IPS officers have openly declared their intention to contest the election, while some of them recently joined political parties of their choice.
On October 24, former Jharkhand police chief Dinesh Kumar Pandey, former IAS officers Suchitra Sinha and R P Singh and former IPS officer Arun Oraon joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Former DGP DK Pandey said, “I had served the people as senior police officer, and I will continue rendering service to people by joining political party and in present context there is no better option than the BJP.”
Similarly, on October 15, former ADG (wireless) Rezi Dungdung on the day he retired from active service announced to contest the polls, but didn’t disclose the party from which he will contest the poll.Dungdung who had already announced to contest poll from Simdega said, “I have already stated that I will contest the election.
The political party from will be decided soon. I am taking the feedback of my voters in Simdega.” Sources said that though Dungdung has not disclosed the party from which he will contest the poll, he has given the indication that he will contest on a BJP ticket.
Sources said that the only hiccup for Dungdung is that Simdega is presently held by BJP sitting MLA Vimla Pradhan. If Dungdung joins BJP, he will be fielded by saffron party either from Simdega or Kolebira Assembly seat which too falls under Simdega district.
Many former IAS and IPS officers who had joined BJP come from political families. Punjab cadre former IPS Arun Oroan before joining BJP was active in Congress and his wife Geetashree Oroan was former HRD minister and Congress MLA from Sisai.
Geetashree’s father and Arun’s father-in-law Kartik Oraon was Member of Parliament from Lohardaga. In Lohardaga/Gumla region late Kartik Oraon is still considered as messiah in tribal communities. Sources said that the ruling party BJP by inducting Arun Oroan wants to woos tribal communities who were upset with Saffron party after the Raghubar Das Government tried to amend the Chottanagrpur/Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act (CNT/SPT) Act.
Sources said that BJP is likely to field Arun Oroan from any any tribal reserved assembly seats under Loharadaga parliamentary constituency. Sources said that this is not for the first time that IAS and IPS officers have joined BJP. In last Assembly election, former bureaucrat, JB Tubid contested election from Chaibasa Assembly seat, but he lost to Deepak Barua, a JMM candidate by the margin of nearly 30,000 votes.
Apart from Tubid, the 2014 polls also saw several other bureaucrats who had quit service for a stint in politics losing elections.
Binod Kispotta (IAS) lost election on a Congress ticket from Gumla. Similarly, two IPS officers Laxman Prasad Singh (BJP) and Biglal Oraon (independent) lost election from Dhanwar and Lohardga seats respectively.