Gujarat IPS officer resigns to contest assembly polls

A Gujarat IPS officer is shedding his khaki uniform to take a plunge in electoral politics.
P C Baranda is gearing up to contest the upcoming assembly polls from Bhiloda in Arvalli district after his resignation from service was accepted by the state government today.
The 58-year-old bureaucrat confirmed the government has accepted his resignation.
The 2007-batch promotee IPS officer, who was serving as Superintendent of Police of Chhota Udepur district when he resigned, said he has been promised a ticket by the BJP from the reserved Bhiloda (Scheduled Tribe) seat.
Baranda, a tribal, belongs to Vankatimba village of Bhiloda taluka of Arvalli district. He joined the police force in 1996 as a deputy superintendent of police and subsequently promoted to the IPS cadre in 2007.

He claimed development has not yet reached Bhiloda and this motivated him to resign from the service, join politics and work for the town's growth.

Congress veteran Anil Joshiara won the seat in 2012.
"I submitted my resignation letter a few days back and today I was informed it has been accepted.
"I will file my nomination from Bhiloda as the BJP candidate in the coming days after getting a green signal from the party. I gave my resignation after the party promised me a ticket," Baranda told PTI.
"People of my region are still deprived of development because of the Congress MLA. There are many more development works which needs to be done in that area.

"I have full faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda of development and I will serve my people keeping in mind the BJP's philosophy of 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas (collective efforts, inclusive growth)'," he added.