Ex-IAS officer Divya Mittal launches Janniti Bharat Party
What's the story
Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Divya Mittal has launched her political party, Jan Neeti Bharat. In a video message, Mittal said the party's focus would be on putting people at the center of policymaking and holding the government accountable for its entire five-year term. She said she chose to start a new party because the problem was not a lack of political parties but rather a lack of willingness to listen to people.
Political entry
Mittal to contest from Mirzapur Sadar assembly seat
"You will ask, is there a shortage of parties? The shortage is not of parties, but of listening," she said.
Mittal, who took voluntary retirement after a 13-year career on August 30, will contest from the Mirzapur Sadar assembly seat.
The Mirzapur Sadar seat has a large Vaishya population, with over 1.5 lakh voters making up more than 30% of the electorate.
The seat also has around one lakh upper-caste voters, including over 50,000 Brahmins and Muslim voters exceeding 50,000.
Party vision
People's needs will be a priority
Mittal's party promises to put people at the center of policymaking, with citizens determining their needs and experts helping find solutions.
Its motto, she said, would be 'Jan se niti, Niti se Bharat' (Policy by the people, policies that build Bharat).
Her second promise is to ensure decisions are made according to people's needs rather than identities.
The motto for this principle is "Zarurat se faisla, faisle mein barabari" (Decisions based on need, equality in decision-making).
Transparency pledge
Mittal's other promises
Mittal also promised to make government work transparent and ensure public feedback determines whether services are functioning properly.
"Har kaam ka hisaab janata legi" (The public will hold every action to account), she said.
She also proposed a mobile application to identify unsafe locations for women, with high-report areas prioritized for safety measures.
Before launching her party, several political outfits had expressed openness to Mittal joining their ranks, including the Samajwadi Party and Congress.