Former UP IAS Officer Divya Mittal Announces Political Entry, Says She Will Not Join Any Party

Yugcharan News / 29-09-2026

Former Uttar Pradesh-cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Divya Mittal has announced her entry into politics, days after resigning from the civil services following nearly 13 years in administration. Mittal said on Tuesday that her political journey would begin in Uttar Pradesh, which she described as her “karmabhoomi”, but made it clear that she would not join any political party.

In a video message released on September 29, Mittal addressed questions about her decision to leave the IAS and what she plans to do next. She said the next phase of her public life would be politics and that she wanted to work as a voice for people whose concerns, according to her, often fail to receive attention within government offices.

“Politics,” Mittal said while answering the question of what comes next after her resignation. She said she wanted to become a voice for people whose concerns do not reach government offices or are not heard when they do.

Mittal’s announcement comes about a month after she voluntarily resigned from the IAS. Her resignation was accepted in September, ending a career that included postings in several districts of Uttar Pradesh and administrative responsibilities at the state level.

Mittal Says She Will Work Outside Political Parties

While announcing her political plans, Mittal specifically ruled out joining an existing political party. She said she wanted to conduct politics directly with the people and indicated that her initiative would depend on public participation rather than party affiliation.

She said she would work with citizens from different sections of society, including teachers, farmers, students, doctors, labourers and lawyers. According to her, meaningful political change would require participation from ordinary citizens rather than being limited to established political organisations.

Mittal also said Uttar Pradesh would be the starting point of her political journey. Her decision is particularly significant because the state is heading towards another Assembly election cycle, although she has not announced a party affiliation or detailed electoral plan.

Her stated political agenda centres on accountability, justice and issues affecting ordinary citizens. She argued that the focus should extend beyond political power to questions about the implementation of government decisions and whether promises and administrative approvals actually translate into results on the ground.

Experience From Administrative Career

Mittal’s political announcement follows a 13-year career in the IAS during which she held several administrative positions in Uttar Pradesh. She served as District Magistrate in districts including Mirzapur and Deoria and also held other senior administrative responsibilities.

She became particularly known for her work in Mirzapur, where an initiative involving piped water supply reached Lahuria Dah, a remote village where residents had depended on tanker water. Her work there received considerable public attention during her tenure as District Magistrate.

In August, when announcing her resignation, Mittal reflected on her administrative career and said that her experiences with people had shaped her understanding of public service. She had also spoken about families receiving land rights, farmers receiving water for their fields and efforts to improve the lives of people facing difficult circumstances.

Her career included postings in Meerut, Gonda, Kanpur Nagar, Bareilly and Sant Kabir Nagar, besides Mirzapur and Deoria. She served as District Magistrate of Mirzapur from September 2022 to September 2023 and later became District Magistrate of Deoria. In May 2026, she was appointed Special Secretary in the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Department, according to The Indian Express.

School Construction Example

In her latest video, Mittal used an experience from her administrative career to explain the type of issues she wants to address through politics.

She recalled an inspection of the water supply system in Lahuria Dah, where a woman from the village approached her with a request for a school providing education beyond Class 5. Mittal said she initially expected the woman to seek assistance relating to a pension, housing or another welfare scheme.

After examining the relevant rules, Mittal said she approved the school. However, she said that even after three years, construction had not started.

She used the example to raise questions about accountability in the implementation of government decisions. According to Mittal, the problem was not necessarily the absence of rules or administrative approval, but the lack of action after a decision had been taken.

She said she wanted greater accountability for such delays and argued that a government decision has little meaning if it does not ultimately reach the people for whom it was intended.

Infrastructure and Employment Among Her Concerns

Mittal also referred to infrastructure problems in rural areas, including the absence of roads and bridges and difficulties faced by villagers during the monsoon season.

She linked these issues to the larger question of how government systems respond to the everyday needs of citizens. In her view, problems involving basic infrastructure can have a direct impact on children, families, farmers and other residents of rural communities.

Her political message also focused on young people and the challenges they face. She mentioned examination paper leaks, lengthy recruitment processes and uncertainty surrounding employment in an era of rapid technological development.

Artificial intelligence and its potential effect on employment were among the issues she highlighted. As a mother of two daughters, she said she was concerned about the kind of future that young people would encounter.

Mittal argued that political discussion often centres on power and noise while questions about long-term planning and governance receive less attention. She said she wanted to focus on what she described as the lack of adequate thinking about the future.

From IAS Officer to Political Entrant

Mittal’s transition from administration to politics marks a new phase in a career that began after she left a finance-sector job in London and returned to India. She studied at IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore before entering the civil services. She secured the 68th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination and joined the IAS.

During her service, she received the Ashok Bambawale Award at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie for outstanding performance during her IAS training, according to The Indian Express.

Her resignation in August had already generated speculation about her future plans. At that time, she did not announce an immediate political role. She instead reflected on her years in public service and said that she wanted to pursue the dreams she had for the people she had served.

Her latest announcement now confirms that politics will be her next public pursuit.

No Party Affiliation Announced

Mittal has so far not announced a political party, alliance or specific electoral constituency. Instead, she has presented her initiative as an effort to work directly with citizens.

She has appealed to people across professions and social groups to participate in the initiative and has invited those who identify with her concerns to connect with her.

Her announcement therefore establishes her intention to enter public life through politics, while leaving several practical questions unanswered, including the organisational structure of her political initiative, whether she will contest an election and how her proposed platform will operate without a conventional party structure.

For now, Mittal has said that her political journey will begin in Uttar Pradesh and that she intends to work with citizens rather than join an established political party. Her next steps are expected to provide greater clarity on how she plans to translate her administrative experience and stated focus on accountability into a political platform.