New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- Former IAS officer Divya Mittal has announced her entry into politics as an independent, saying she would begin her political journey from Uttar Pradesh and strive to become the voice of people whose grievances often fail to reach government offices.

Mittal, a 2013-batch officer, resigned from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) after a 13-year career on 30 August. Her decision comes months ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Mittal was the special secretary in the Revenue Department in Lucknow when she tendered her resignation. She had earlier notably worked as the district magistrate in Deoria, Mirzapur and Sant Kabir Nagar.

During her tenure as Mirzapur district magistrate, she had gained widespread...