LUCKNOW, Oct. 16 -- Ending days of speculation over a widely anticipated move, former IAS officer Divya Mittal on Thursday announced her political debut, launching her party Janneeti Bharat and declaring her intention to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections from Mirzapur. "Public pressure influenced me to contest from the district," Mittal told HT. She served as Mirzapur district magistrate from September 2022 to September 2023. She announced her political debut through social media posts and a video message. Mirzapur is considered a stronghold of Union minister and Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel, who won the Lok Sabha seat in 2014, 2019 and 2024. The BJP-Apna Dal (S) alliance won all five assembly constituencies in the dist...