Day old in politics, ex-bureaucrat ready for Punjab poll challenge

The soft-spoken Tamil Nadu-cadre IAS officer, who quit 35 years of service to jump into the poll battlefield of Punjab, says though he doesn’t espouse the gladiator style of politics being carried out on the seat, he thinks BJP may have chosen him because they felt he was their best bet.

Jagmohan Raju

He says he enjoys a challenge, and doesn’t back off no matter how formidable it is. Just a day old in politics, Dr Jagmohan Singh Raju, the BJP candidate from the hot seat of Amritsar East, which is witnessing an acrimonious contest between Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu and Shiromani Akali Dal’s Bikram Singh Majithia, is unfazed by his political opponents.

The soft-spoken Tamil Nadu-cadre IAS officer who put in his papers this week to jump into the poll battlefield of Punjab, says though he doesn’t espouse the gladiator style of politics being carried out on the seat, he thinks BJP may have chosen him because they felt he was their best bet.

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“All through my 35 years, whenever there was a challenge that no one was ready to take, I would step up and give it my best.” So when he was given the unenviable charge of adult literacy or Saakshar Bharat in the HRD ministry in 2009, he set a record of sorts by making 2 crore women literate in 4.5 years, a feat that earned him the UNESCO King Sejong world prize for literacy.

Born in Faridkot, Jagmohan is no stranger to Amritsar. His father Dr Karam Singh Raju, was a well-respected bureaucrat of Punjab, who took up law after retirement and penned 20 books on Sikh religion and social justice till his death in 2019.

A alumnus of public administration department at Panjab University, Jagmohan was 22 when he cleared the civil services and was given the Tamil Nadu cadre in 1985. Thirty-five years on, he says he is returning to “serve Punjab”. “In the last 10 or 20 years, there has been a continuous decline in the human development and economic index of Punjab, while other states like Tamil Nadu have made big strides.”

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Jagmohan says he chose BJP because it’s ruling at the Centre. “I have observed that states that are able to mobilise the resources of the Centre tend to prosper. There is no other way out as the Centre has the finances.”

Drawing an ideological parallel between Punjab and Tamil Nadu, he says though both are dominated by regional parties, and have made similar demands for autonomy, the southern state managed to cultivate a fruitful relationship with the Centre while Punjab faltered. “Consequently, it has failed to get the funds it needed.”

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On the problems facing the state, he says the biggest is poor political leadership. “Why is it that bureaucracy is very efficient in one state and inefficient in the other? It’s because there is no political leadership to give it direction,” he asks.

Punjab, he feels, is ripe for a change given its “discredited leadership” facing various charges.

A PhD in public policy from TISS, and a visiting fellow at Cambridge, Jagmohan says he draws tremendous inspiration from his father. “He was born to a landless Dalit labourer, yet he made it to the Punjab Civil Services and was later promoted to IAS. But he didn’t stop there and did his PhD at the age of 70 and worked for Dalit rights,” says Jagmohan.

It’s a subject dear to his heart as well — he had once sent a legal notice to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) against the “casteist, vindictive and malicious discrimination” by an officer through his lawyer Prashant Bhushan — but he says even a Dalit leader needs skill, commitment and intention to produce results.

Manraj Grewal Sharma

Manraj Grewal Sharma is a senior journalist and the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Chandigarh, where she leads the newspaper’s coverage of north India’s most politically and institutionally significant regions. From Punjab and Haryana to Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, she oversees reporting at the intersection of governance, law, politics and society. She also reports on the diaspora, especially in Canada and the US. With a career spanning journalism across several countries, academia and international development, Manraj brings a rare depth of perspective to regional reporting. She is widely regarded as a leading chronicler of Punjab’s contemporary history and socio-political evolution, particularly its long shadow of militancy, federal tensions and identity politics. Her book, Dreams after Darkness, remains a definitive account of the militancy years and their enduring aftermath. Professional Background & Expertise A gold medalist in mass communication and a post-graduate in English literature, Manraj has a multifaceted career spanning journalism, academia, and international development. She was also awarded a fellowship by National Foundation of India and did several in-depth pieces on Manipur. Internationally, she has reported from Israel, US, UK, Myanmar, and Mauritius Her key focus areas include: Regional Politics, History, Agriculture, Diaspora, and Security. Of late, she has started focusing on Legal & Judicial Affairs: Much of her recent work involves reporting on high-stakes cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, ranging from environmental policy to civil rights. International Consulting: She previously served as a consulting editor for the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network and a publishing consultant for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila. Academia: For five years, she was the managing editor of Gender, Technology and Development, a peer-reviewed international journal at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage focuses heavily on judicial interventions and regional governance: 1. Environment & Governance "‘NGT can’t test legality of policy’: HC hears challenge to Punjab’s ‘Green Habitat’ plan" (Dec 22, 2025): Covering a critical legal battle over whether the National Green Tribunal has the authority to strike down a state policy regularizing farmhouses on delisted forest land. "High court pulls up Punjab poll panel over audio clip probe" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on judicial concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of local body elections. 2. Legal Rights & Social Welfare "HC issues notice to Punjab, Haryana over delay in building old age homes" (Dec 22, 2025): Reporting on a contempt petition against top officials for failing to establish government-run homes for the elderly as promised in 2019. "Victims can appeal acquittals in sessions court without seeking special leave" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant procedural shift in criminal law following a Supreme Court ruling. "HC upholds benefits for Punjab FCI officer acquitted in 20-year-old bribery case" (Dec 19, 2025): A report on the concept of "honourable acquittal" and its impact on employee benefits. 3. Human Rights & Identity "As Punjab denies parole to MP Amritpal Singh, HC asks it to submit ‘foundational material’" (Dec 1, 2025): Covering the legal proceedings regarding the radical preacher and sitting MP's request to attend Parliament. "Protecting life paramount: HC backs Muslim woman in live-in after verbal divorce" (Nov 6, 2025): Analyzing judicial protections for personal liberty in the context of traditional practices. Signature Beats Manraj is recognized for her ability to decode complex judicial rulings and relate them to the everyday lives of citizens. Whether it is a 30-year-old land battle in Fazilka or the political implications of Kangana Ranaut’s candidacy in Mandi, her writing provides deep historical and regional context. Contact @grewal_sharma on X manrajgrewalsharma on Instagram ... Read More