Former bureaucrat Aparajita joins BJP, may contest from Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: Former Odisha-cadre IAS officer Aparajita Sarangi, who recently opted for voluntary retirement from provider, joined BJP on Tuesday.
Flanked via Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state birthday celebration president Basanta Panda and its nationwide basic secretary and Odisha in-charge Arun Singh, Aparajita used to be inducted in BJP at the residence of birthday celebration president Amit Shah in New Delhi.

“I've joined politics and BJP with an open thoughts, as an extraordinary employee. I will be able to paintings keeping the folk’s welfare in thoughts without reference to the role assigned to me via the leadership,” Aparajita instructed TOI hours after becoming a member of the birthday celebration.

The former IAS officer, who final labored as the joint secretary of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on central deputation, is scheduled to go back to the state on November 29 and meet birthday celebration workers in Bhubaneswar.

Speculation is rife about Aparajita contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Bhubaneswar. During her tenure as municipal commissioner in the city from 2006 to 2009, she had made a mark via pioneering the concept of merchandising zones for street vendors and in my view supervising the cleansing of the town.

Aparajita, then again, mentioned she would abide via whatever determination the birthday celebration took for her. “I've joined BJP with none preconceived perception about my role. I will be able to carry out my responsibility in whatever role the leadership offers me,” she mentioned.

Dharmendra welcomed Aparajita and mentioned her revel in in management would support the birthday celebration. “Smt. @AprajitaSarangi,Ex IAS from #Odisha cadre joined @BJP4India nowadays in the presence of National President Shri @AmitShah. I welcome her to the BJP family. Her revel in in management esp. in making improvements to faculty & mass training in Odisha will greatly support @BJP4Odisha,” he tweeted. Aparajita had served as faculty and mass training secretary in 2010-2012.

Meanwhile, BJD and Congress performed down the significance of the induction. BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pratap Keshari Deb mentioned, “I don’t know what else she's going to say in regards to the state that other BJP leaders have no longer mentioned already. Let’s wait.” Leader of opposition and Congress veteran Narasingha Mishra mentioned Aparajita’s becoming a member of would no longer make any distinction to the political scene in Odisha. “Bureaucrats becoming a member of politics is not anything new,” he mentioned.

Industrialist-turned-politician Baijayant Panda, who has maintained suspense over his political plan after resigning from BJD, mentioned Aparajita’s entry into politics used to be a gain for India’s polity. “Congratulations to @AprajitaSarangi on her new adventure! She had an outstanding popularity as a decent & dynamic civil servant in Odisha, particularly for her role administering the state capital... Though it's a loss for the paperwork, it's going to certainly be a gain for India's polity,” he tweeted.

After her five-year central deputation ended in August, the 1994-batch officer sought VRS in September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved her utility on November 15. A local of Bhagalpur in Bihar, she is married to Odisha local Santosh Sarangi, additionally an IAS officer lately posted as joint secretary below the Union trade ministry.

The induction of the former bureaucrat in BJP comes months after the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD were given on board former Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik in April this yr.