RAIPUR: A 2005-batch IAS officer and the Raipur collector Om Prakash Choudhary has resigned to launch his political career in an election year in the poll-bound Chhattisgarh state. Choudhary, 37, had sent his resignation letter to the department of personnel and training (DoPT) on August 16, TNIE has learnt. Highly places sources told the Express on Saturday that his resignation has been accepted by the Centre.
Earlier speculations were rife about the IAS officer, who is known for creating an educational hub called 'Education City' in Maoist-affected Dantewada district, south Bastar, was expected to join the BJP during the visit of the party president Amit Shah to Raipur on April 22. But Shah's visit was postponed owing to the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The ruling BJP is likely to field him from Kharsia Assembly seat in Raigarh, which happens to be the home district of Choudhary. He is expected to acquire the party membership during the upcoming visit of BJP chief Amit Shah early next month.
Kharsia has remained the Congress party's impenetrable strong bastion, which was retained by Umesh Patel, son of slain PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel, who was shot dead by Maoists in 2013 at Bastar. There is however no official confirmation either from the BJP or the IAS officer about his joining the saffron party soon but some senior leaders within the BJP told the Express that Choudhary remains the best choice for the party against Umesh Patel for multiple reasons. The first and foremost is his inspiring appeal among the youths and his impeccable track record as a bureaucrat.
Choudhary is a resident of Bayang village in Raigarh. Despite repeated attempts he couldn't be reached but his close aides cited that he has actually been thinking for quite sometime to launch his political stint. Youths in Chhattisgarh see him as a -"great motivator-" for his encouraging contribution for the cause of education. -"If someone like me who did his schooling from a small village can become an IAS officer, it only because of education-", he once told the Express. He has earlier served as a collector of Dantewada and Janjgir-Champa.