Ex-Babu Choudhary steps into his new BJP shoes

Former Raipur Collector O P Choudhary, who quit civil service to join the BJP, hailed the saffron party as the only political outfit which can take the country on the path of progress.

On arrival here, he addressed his maiden press conference. The former bureaucrat said the BJP had made a corporator a chief minister and a tea seller the prime minister - all this without having to grease any palms.

Choudhary said, “I entered politics with the aim of serving the people. I came from a village with a dream, through hard work joined IAS and did my best during my 13-year stint as a career bureaucrat.”

He said, in a democracy, the importance of politics cannot be ignored as bureaucracy has its limitations and has to work within a framework.

Education, health

On Opposition accusation that he has been working for the BJP for long, he said for several years he had been organising educational and health programmes in his native place. This may be seen differently by some. “Making ‘Prayas’ (imparting training to tribal, SC/ST students of class 11 and 12 to help them clear IIT, IIIT, medical and other courses) was my thought process. Nalanda, ‘Education City’ (Dantewada Jawang recently visited by President of India) with schools offering nursery to class 12, school for differently abled, skill development, BPO were my dream. Speaking against this thought process has no meaning,” he said.

He said he would accept any responsibility given by the party and work with full dedication.

BJP state president Dharamlal Kaushik said Choudhary's administrative experience would benefit the BJP.