Beyond Babudom: IAS, IPS officers set to contest forthcoming Punjab polls

A NUMBER of serving bureaucrats and former bureaucrats in Punjab including IAS officers Darbara Singh Guru of 1980 batch and Ujagar Singh of 1977 batch, and IPS officers SS Virk, PS Gill and Mohammad Izhar Alam are seeking tickets to contest Punjab’s coming assembly polls. There has already been a huge media attention at non-descript Bhadaur assembly constituency in Punjab where there could be a straight fight between Darbara Singh Guru, principal secretary to the chief minister who will retire in May 2012 and Ujagar Singh, former principal secretary (finance) of Tamil Nadu government. Whereas Guru may get a Shiromani Akali Dal ticket, Singh is reportedly knocking at 10 Janpath to secure a Congress ticket.

That’s not all. Former Punjab and Maharashtra DGP SS Virk has asked for a Congress ticket to contest at Dasuya assembly seat. The other police officers who have made serious bids to get Shiromani Akali Dal tickets are ex-Punjab DGP PS Gill for Moga seat and ex-DGP (prisons) Mohammad Izhar Alam for Malerkotla constituency. In fact, ruling Shiromani Akali Dal is said to be serious in projecting Mohammad Izhar Alam for Malerkotla seat as the constituency is currently represented by Congress MLA Razia Sultana who is wife of another IPS officer, Additional DGP Mohd Mustafa.

Only last year, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s close aide and 1984 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS Ram Chandra Prasad Singh or RCP, became an icon among serving bureaucrats when he clinched a berth in Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament. Way back in 1984, BJP leader Yaswant Sinha left the elite IAS to join politics and went up the ladder to become the country’s finance minister. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi is yet another example of a bureaucrat jettisoning cushy government job to get a taste of politics and emerge successful.

Netagiri could well be a serious career option for many more serving and retired Indian bureaucrats in days to come.