What next for 2005 batch IAS OP Choudhary? Is he contesting assembly poll on a BJP ticket?

Choudhary while receiving the PM's award (File Photo) 

IN A major development in Chhattisgarh last week, 2005 batch IAS officer OP Choudhary resigned from the elite service, making his peers surprised and also raising speculations about his next move. If the media reports are to be believed, Choudhary who was the Raipur district collector till recently, may join the ruling party, BJP, and contest from the assembly constituency of…

Kharsiya, a traditional Congress stronghold. Choudhary belongs to Chhattisgarh itself.

Choudhary till now has not come on record saying that he would be joining the BJP and contesting the assembly polls scheduled to be held in November-December this year. Chhattisgarh is one of the four states where there will be elections soon, the others being Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram.

Choudhary has, however, disclosed in his social media handle that he had resigned, adding that he would now like to work for his “apni maati” (my land) and “apni log” (my people). He also thanked all those who had helped him overcoming the challenges during his 13-year-long journey from being a villager to Raipur collector. 

Choudhury hogged the limelight when he received the coveted Prime Minister's Award for

Excellence in Public Administration for the year 2011-12 for “educational Initiatives in Dantewada”. As the district magistrate of Dantewada, the officer played a key role in developing a new educational hub with residential facilities for students coming from the Naxal-hit villages. 

He started his IAS career as an assistant collector in Korba before serving as SDO at Raipur and Durg respectively. He was also Raipur Municipality Commissioner. 

Choudhary served as district magistrate in two Maoist-infested districts — Dantewada and Sukma. 

He did his graduation in physics from Raipur’s Pt Ravi Shankar Shukla University before getting selected as an IAS.