Former IAS, IPS officials battle it out in poll field

Politics is no longer restricted to politicians only. Nearly two dozen former IAS and IPS officials are trying their luck in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from various political parties.

Be it arch rivals BJP and Congress or newbie Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), each of them have fielded a number of retired bureaucrats to win over people.

While former Home Secretary R K Singh, a 1975-batch retired IAS Bihar cadre officer, is contesting from Arrah constituency in Bihar as BJP candidate, former Kerala Governor Nikhil Kumar, a retired 1963-batch IPS officer, is the fray from Bihar's Aurangabad parliamentary constituency on a Congress ticket.

Singh is pitted against sitting MP and Janata Dal (United) candidate Meena Singh and Kumar, who has also served as Delhi Police Commissioner, is contesting against JD(U) Sushil Kumar Singh, who represents the seat in Lok Sabha.

Another retired bureaucrat Christy Fernandez, who was secretary to former President Pratibha Patil, is trying his luck from Kerala's Ernakulam constituency.

Fernandez is a 1973-batch former IAS officer of Gujarat cadre. The constituency is represented by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prof K V Thomas. Thomas is again a candidate from Congress from the seat.

Former Army Chief General V K Singh is fighting his maiden election from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad constituency on a BJP ticket. His main rivals are Congress' Raj Babbar and AAP's Shazia Ilmi.

Ghaziabad constituency is represented in Lok Sabha by BJP chief Rajnath Singh, who is contesting the polls from Lucknow.

Interestingly two former IPS officers, who are also brothers, contesting from Rajasthan's Dausa constituency from different parties.

Harish Meena, a 1976-batch retired IPS officer, is contesting on BJP ticket against his brother Namo Narain Meena.

Namo Narain Meena, a 1969-batch retired IPS officer, is a Minister of State for Finance here. He is contesting on a Congress ticket.

In Bihar, former IAS officer K P Ramaiah (1986-batch) is contesting against Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar from Sasaram. Ramaiah, who has served at various positions in Bihar during his stint as an IAS officer, is contesting on a JD-U ticket.

Congress' Kumar is also a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) official. She joined IFS in 1973 and resigned from the service in 1985. Meira Kumar is a winning MP from Sasaram.
Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has also put forth a retired bureaucrat from Mizoram to contest the polls.

M Lalmanzuala, a retired Punjab cadre IAS officer of 1967 batch, is AAP candidate from lone Mizoram seat of the state. His main rival is Congress' sitting MP C L Ruala.

AAP has also fielded Ajit Joy, a 1992 batch former IPS officer, from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram constituency. The seat is represented by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor. Joy took voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service.

AAP has also given ticket to former IPS officer Suresh Khopade from Maharashtra's Baramati seat. Khopade is fighting against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate and sitting MP Supriya Sule, daughter of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.

In Madhya Pradesh, former IAS officer Bhagirath Prasad is contesting as BJP candidate from Bhind constituency. His rival is Congress' Imarti Devi. The seat is represented by BJP's Ashok Argal.

In Haryana, former IAS officer Yudhbir Singh Khyalia is contesting from Hisar on an AAP ticket. He faces Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) candidate Kuldeep Bishnoi and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Dushyant Chautala.

Bishnoi is a winning Lok Sabha member from the seat.

In Jharkhand, former IPS officer Ajay Kumar and sitting MP is again contesting from Jamshedpur constituency as Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) candidate.

Retired IPS officer Rameshwar Oraon is contesting from Lohardaga seat in the state on a Congress ticket. BJP's Sudarshan Bhagat, who is against contesting the election, is a Lok Sabha member from the same constituency.

Former Jharkhand police chief and retired IPS officer Vishnu Dayal Ram is contesting from state's Palamau constituency on a BJP ticket. The seat is represented by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Kameshwar Baitha.

Another former IPS officer Amitabh Choudhary is contesting from Ranchi constituency of the state against sitting MP and Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay. Sahay is again the Congress face from there.

Choudhary is contesting as Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) candidate.

In Bihar, former police chief Ashish Ranjan Sinha is contesting from Nalanda seat. Sinha, a former IPS officer, has served as Bihar's Director General of Police.

He faces JD (U) candidate, also a winning MP from the seat, Kaushalendra Kumar.

In Uttar Pradesh, former IPS officer Satyapal Singh is contesting from Baghpat seat against sitting MP and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh.

In West Bengal, retired IPS officer R K Handa is contesting from Barrackpur constituency. Handa, a 1967-batch former IPS officer, is fighting as BJP candidate. All India Trinamool Congress' Dinesh Trivedi currently represents the seat in Lok Sabha.

Besides them, some other bureaucrats are contesting Lok Sabha polls scheduled to begin from Monday.