Former Karnataka IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil to join Congress

He resigned from his services last year citing his inability to continue when “fundamental building blocks of diverse democracy are being compromised"

Former Karnataka-cadre IAS officer S Sasikanth Senthil, who resigned from civil services last year citing his inability to continue when “fundamental building blocks of diverse democracy are being compromised," will join the Congress in Tamil Nadu on Monday.

Former Karnataka-cadre IAS officer S Sasikanth Senthil, who resigned from the civil services last year citing his inability to continue when "fundamental building blocks of diverse democracy are being compromised," will join the Congress in Tamil Nadu on Monday.

Senthil, a 2009 batch officer, will join the Congress in the presence of AICC in-charge for the state, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and state Congress chief K S Alagiri. 41-year-old Senthil resigned from the civil services in September 2019 when he was working as the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada.

The development comes months after former IPS officer Annamalai took the political plunge in Tamil Nadu by joining the BJP. He is currently the vice-president of the state unit of BJP.

Read | Former IPS officer Annamalai appointed Tamil Nadu BJP Vice President

Born in Chennai, Senthil did his BE from the then Regional Engineering College in Tiruchirapalli and worked with a software firm for a year before taking up teaching. He then joined the civil services and became part of Karnataka cadre.

The former IAS officer, a vehement opponent of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, told DH that he took the decision to join the Congress as he felt that the party can provide the support system that he needs.

"I certainly believe political solution is the only way to resolve many things that are plaguing the nation today. Congress is a party whose ideology is grand old and rooted to the Constitution. The party has never weaned away from its ideology. The current leadership understands the spirit of this ideological fight and recognises that India has to be for all," Senthil said.

"There is no substitute to meeting the people directly and explaining things to them. That is what I am planning to do and I am convinced that Congress will provide me the support system," he added.

Senthil said he decided to take the plunge in Tamil Nadu as he feels he owes a lot to the state that gave him education and life.

"This is the time for people like me to come to politics. If people like me who have enjoyed the fruits of life only because of the policies of the governments (that ruled the state) do not come to save the state, who else will come? The state has given me so much and I want to pay back as much as I can. This is the right time as the BJP is trying to change the narrative. We will not let them...," he added.

Senthil is likely to travel across the state and campaign for the Congress-DMK alliance in the run-up to the 2021 assembly elections.

Covid-19 situation did not allow a personal meeting between him and Rahul Gandhi, but the Congress leader did speak to Senthil on the phone. "He invited me to join his fight against the divisive forces. I liked the approach," he said.