Former IPS officer and Azad Adhikar Sena’s (AAS) national president Amitabh Thakur has welcomed former IAS officer Divya Mittal decision to launch her own political party, Janniti Bharat Party. Thakur extended his support for her election campaign in Mirzapur after Mittal proposed competing in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
AAS welcomed her political endeavour, adding that Mittal’s decision could be a new initiative in the region’s politics. Mittal’s party promises to prioritise citizens’ opinions, especially in policymaking, and accountable governance.
According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, Thakur highlighted the parties' shared values, including a commitment to citizen empowerment and public interest. He expressed hope that a future partnership between AAS and the Janniti Bharat party can pave the path to achieve their common goals. He also hinted that the shared commitment could lay the groundwork for cooperation between the two organisations.
Thakur formed AAS in 2021 after he was forced into compulsory retirement in ‘public interest.’ Throughout his career, Thakur has clashed with multiple political regimes, including those of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and Yogi Adityanath. Thakur and his family have maintained that his retirement was a political move to silence him.
What does Janniti Bharat stand for?
The core beliefs of the Janniti Bharat include involving the public in policymaking, taking decisions based on need, and accountable governance.
Mittal shared an eight-minute clip on October 15, announcing her decision to form her own party. While revealing the name of her party, she said,“the shortage is not of parties, but of listening.”
Mittal previously worked as the Mirzapur district magistrate and resigned from the civil services after 13 years to join politics in September. She holds a B-tech degree from IIT Delhi and an MBA from IIM Bangalore.
She worked at JP Morgan in London before returning to India and joining the civil services. She held administrative positions in several districts, including Deoria and Sant Kabir Nagar. She gained considerable attention for providing piped drinking water to Lahuria Dah, a remote hilltop village in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. Her husband, Gagandeep Singh Dhillon, is a 2011 batch officer and served in the Indian Trade Service.
