Home India Set to join BJP, Raipur collector resigns: ‘Want to work for my land, people’

Set to join BJP, Raipur collector resigns: ‘Want to work for my land, people’

The Indian Express reported on Thursday that the 37-year-old was set to join the BJP and contest Assembly elections later this year, and would be projected as a “youth icon” by the party.

On Saturday, Choudhary released a statement in Hindi on his Facebook page and Twitter handle. (Express Photo/Tashi Tobgyal/File)

Raipur Collector O P Choudhary Saturday announced his resignation from the bureaucracy, saying he wanted to give his time to “my people and my land”. The Indian Express reported on Thursday that the 37-year-old was set to join the BJP and contest Assembly elections later this year, and would be projected as a “youth icon” by the party.

On Saturday, Choudhary released a statement in Hindi on his Facebook page and Twitter handle. “The 13 year journey from the bylanes of my village Bayang to the post of Raipur collector has given me many challenging opportunities. In this journey, thousands of people have supported me directly or indirectly, and there are not enough words in the Hindi dictionary to thank them. Now I want to work for my land, and for the betterment of my people, and give my entire time to them. That is why I have resigned from the IAS. Jai Hind, Jai Chhattisgarh,” the statement said.

A notification issued by Chief Secretary Ajay Singh said the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, had accepted the 2005-batch officer’s resignation and he had been relieved of his duties. The notification added that Deepak Soni, CEO, Zila Panchayat, had been given additional charge of Raipur collector.

Amid the discussion on Choudhary’s impending entry into politics, Congress leader Charan Das Mahant has said a lack of leaders within the BJP had led them to go for “parachute landings”, while Chhattisgarh Janata Congress has said the need to induct Choudhary had proved that the BJP has no new face to offer.

BJP president Dharamlal Kaushik said, “If a young IAS officer wants to join the BJP for betterment of the country, why is it bothering the Congress? If O P Choudhary resigns and joins the BJP, he will be welcomed.”

Choudhary was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2013 for his efforts towards creating the Education City in Dantewada.

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