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Journalism of Courage
Of the three candidates announced by the Samajwadi Party Tuesday for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in Uttar Pradesh, the unusual inclusion was retired bureaucrat and former state chief secretary Alok Ranjan.
However, the 1978-batch IAS officer is a familiar face in SP ranks. The 67-year-old Ranjan served as the state chief secretary from May 2014 to June 2016 under then chief minister Akhilesh Singh, and, on retirement, was appointed his chief adviser with the rank of a Cabinet minister. He held the post until the end of the SP government’s term in March 2017.
Asked about his nomination by the SP, Ranjan told The Indian Express, “It is very nice of (Akhilesh) to consider me for the post. I have not been part of the SP but would now be. While I kept myself busy after retirement, now I would start my political journey.”
After filing his nomination in Akhilesh’s presence on Tuesday, Ranjan wrote on X, “The strength of our nation lies in the power of our democracy… Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are not just houses of Parliament, they are the platforms where the voice of our people rules supreme. It is this voice and their welfare that I will strive for.”
Sources in the SP say Ranjan has been a part of Akhilesh’s “think tank” and “strategy-making” team for a while now, including the last seven years of the SP in Opposition. Party leaders say he played a significant role in drafting the SP’s 2022 Assembly poll manifesto as well, and was with Akhilesh at the release of the document.
Ranjan also played a significant role in preparing the party’s arguments and data to counter the ruling BJP on policy and governance issues during the polls.
His nomination is also seen as part of the SP’s efforts towards social engineering. Ranjan, who hails from the Unnao district adjacent to the state capital of Lucknow, is a Kayastha, a community that is dominant in a significant number of seats, especially in central UP.
Kayastha are considered upper caste in UP and a loyal BJP support base. Recently though, in another proof of Ranjan’s rising profile, the Vishwa Kayastha Sansthan established a unit in the state and nominated him as its chairman.
“We are not surprised with his nomination. He would be an asset to the party considering his past as an officer of competence when it comes to governance and that he is also very active within his community,” said a senior SP leader.
As a bureaucrat, Ranjan oversaw the completion of significant infrastructure and development projects. Several key projects under the SP government, from the Lucknow-Agra Expressway and the Lucknow Metro to the Dial 100 programme, were executed during Ranjan’s tenure.
Ranjan had also served as the commissioner of the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department under Akhilesh. In 2002, he was the joint secretary, defence, for the Central government. Prior to that, he served as Secretary to BJP CM Kalyan Singh in 1998.
Since retiring, Ranjan has also authored four books on public policy and leadership. He is currently a visiting professor at IIM Lucknow and is associated with other educational institutes in Lucknow.
