Two IPS of UP cadre form their own political parties to fight their battles

There have been many IPS officers who have joined political parties and contested elections. But there are rare who floated their own political parties to take a plunge in politics.

Two retired IPS officers from Uttar Pradesh – Sulkhan Singh, who retired as Director General of Police and Amitabh Thakur who was forced upon compulsory retirement as Inspector General – have formed their own political parties.

Two days back, Sulkhan Singh, a 1980 batch IPS, who retired in December 2017, announced to float his own political party – Bundelkhand Loktantrik Party (BLP).

The party's main goal is to ensure separate statehood for Bundelkhand region, which encompasses eight parliamentary constituencies, four in Uttar Pradesh and four in Madhya Pradesh.

Sulkhan Singh's initiative is inspired by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TCR) leader K C Rao's successful campaign for a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh.

“No political party has been able to resolve issues of Bundelkhand. It needs a special focus. So a new political party was need to look into the problems and issues of Bundelkhand.” Sulkhan Singh said.

The other IPS officer who formed political party is Amitabh Thakur, who is a 1992 batch IPS and was forced to retire in March 2021 – seven years ahead of his scheduled superannuation. He formed a political party Azad Adhikar Sena in June 2022.

The primary aim of Adhikar Sena is to instil the feeling and concept that all the powers (Adhikar) and authorities lie in the citizen of India, as bestowed through the constitution of India and various laws of the land.

Amitabh Thakur has had a record of collisions with all the governments starting from Mulayam Singh Yadav to Mayawati government and from Akhilesh government to Yogi Adityanath government.

Thakur had been more of an activist than police officer. He was suspended on July 13, 2015, days after he had accused Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav of threatening him.

A vigilance enquiry was also initiated against him.

However, the Lucknow Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal stayed his suspension in April 2016 and ordered his reinstatement with full salary with effect from October 11, 2015.