Ex-IAS officer Divya Mittal's new party looks to field 'strong candidates' across 403 seats in UP

Former IAS officer Divya Mittal on Saturday said her proposed Janneeti Bharat Party would contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections wherever it found strong candidates across the state's 403 seats. Speaking to people in Mirzapur's Chunar, Mittal said, “Our party, Janneeti Bharat, will contest the Assembly elections. We will contest the elections wherever we find strong candidates among the 403 seats.”

The statement came 10 days after Mittal announced she would launch her own political party and contest the 2027 UP Assembly elections.

Janneeti Bharat Party's three promises

Mittal announced the formation of the Janneeti Bharat Party on October 15. She outlined three key promises that would guide the party's approach.

The first promise is to put people at the centre of policymaking and ensure that they have a say in decisions, she said in a video posted to X. Its motto is “Jan se niti, Niti se Bharat” (Policy by the people, policies that build India).

The second promise is to ensure that decisions are based on people's needs rather than their identities. Its motto is “Zarurat se faisla, faisle mein barabari” (Decisions based on need, equality in decision-making).

The third promise focuses on public accountability. “Har kaam ka hisaab janata legi” (The public will hold every action to account), she said. Its motto is “Janata ko hisaab; Hisaab se sudhaar” (Accountability to the people; reform through accountability).

Why Divya Mittal left the IAS

Mittal first spoke about her political ambitions last month, saying she wanted to work directly with people and address their concerns rather than join an existing political party.

“I will do politics, but not with any political party. I will do politics with people,” she said in a video message.

Calling Uttar Pradesh her “karmabhoomi” (workplace), Mittal said she would begin her political journey in the state. She also pledged to “fearlessly struggle” to address people's problems and take them along in the process.

Mittal resigned from the Indian Administrative Service on August 30. The Uttar Pradesh government accepted her resignation on September 15, bringing her 13-year civil services career to an end.

Who is Divya Mittal?

Originally from Rewari in Haryana, Mittal studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore. After completing her MBA, she worked in London before returning to India to prepare for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination.

She cleared the examination in her second attempt in 2013, securing the 68th rank, and joined the IAS as part of the 2013-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre.

During her career, she served as district magistrate in Sant Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur and Deoria. She later held senior positions in the Uttar Pradesh government, including that of Special Secretary in the Revenue Department.

Her tenure as Mirzapur district magistrate brought her wider public recognition after her administration helped provide piped drinking water to Lahuria Dah, a remote village where residents had depended on water tankers for decades.

In her resignation message, Mittal reflected on her experiences working with farmers, families seeking land rights and people with disabilities. She wrote that her administrative career had taught her that “behind every government file is a person”.