Ex-IAS officer Divya Mittal launches new party, to contest UP polls

Former IAS officer Divya Mittal announced her political party, Jan Neeti Bharat, on Thursday, over a month after she opted for voluntary retirement from service, and said it will contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. In an 8.27-minute-long video message on X, Mittal said the party will focus on making people central to policymaking and ensuring that the government remains accountable to them throughout its five-year term and not just on election day. "Politics rules over you. In Jan Neeti, you will be the ones who rule," she said, announcing the party's name and its decision to contest the state polls due early next year. Mittal outlined three key promises of her proposed party, focusing on people-centric policymaking, decisions based on need rather than identity, and public accountability.

मेरा राजनीतिक सफर का अगला कदम। मेरे साथ जुड़ें ???????? https://t.co/c9ihA3dxOB

— Divya Mittal (@divyamittal_IAS) October 15, 2026

Originally from Rewari in Haryana, Mittal studied at IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore. After completing her MBA, she worked in London before returning to India to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. She cleared the examination in her second attempt in 2013, securing the 68th rank, and joined the IAS. She served as district magistrate in Sant Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur and Deoria before holding senior positions in the Uttar Pradesh government, including Special Secretary in the Revenue Department.