Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Divya Mittal on Thursday announced the launch of her political party, Jan Neeti Bharat, and declared that she would contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

In a video shared on X, Mittal said the party would place citizens at the centre of policymaking. “Politics rules over you. In Jan Neeti, you will be the ones who rule,” she said, outlining her vision of a political platform driven by public participation.

The announcement comes nearly a month after the 2013-batch IAS officer took voluntary retirement and revealed her decision to enter politics. At the time, Mittal said she wanted to become the voice of people whose concerns often fail to reach those in positions of power. She had also stated that she would not contest elections under another party’s banner and would seek public support for her political journey.

‘Politics Is the Answer’: Mittal Explains Her Decision
Reflecting on her decision to leave the civil services, Mittal said she had taken time to consider the challenges of entering politics.

“I resigned from IAS and left many questions behind. This is a big task, and I was gathering courage. Today I have come to answer. What next? The answer is politics,” she said in the video.

Mittal said her decision was influenced by administrative shortcomings she had encountered during her service. These included schools that were approved but never constructed, leased land that was never handed over, damaged roads linked to fatal accidents and uncertainty faced by students affected by examination paper leaks.

Recounts Experience From Mirzapur
Mittal recalled an inspection in Lahuria Dah village in Mirzapur district, where she had served as district magistrate. She said she had expected a woman she met during the visit to request assistance with a pension or housing.

Instead, the woman, who did not have a drinking water connection at home, asked for a school to be built in her village.

Mittal said she approved the school project, but construction had still not begun three years later. Questioning the delay, she said the necessary funds, rules and approvals were available, but the project had not progressed due to a lack of intent.

She described such cases as examples of administrative failures that she wants to address through her political initiative.

Focus on Public Participation in Policymaking
With the launch of Jan Neeti Bharat, Mittal is entering Uttar Pradesh politics ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Her stated focus is on making governance more responsive to citizens and ensuring that public concerns translate into action.

Her electoral prospects will depend on the party’s organisation, its policy agenda and the support it builds among voters in the run-up to the polls.