Two days after the former Director-General of Police, R. Nataraj, joined the AIADMK, it was the turn of A.X. Alexander, a 1970-batch IPS officer, to follow suit on Thursday.
Mr. Alexander, who retired as DGP of Tamil Nadu, said a new phenomenon of former government officials joining politics was emerging. “A former Union Home Secretary, a retired Army Chief and many others have joined political parties. Bureaucrats have a rich experience of administration and they want to be on a wider canvas … I think this is a healthy trend,” he said.
Asked what his immediate assignment was, he said he was waiting for further orders. “Since I had a long stint in intelligence, I know the State politics since 1975 … I am one of those few officers who had first-hand knowledge of the political issues. I have not come with any agenda.” It was former Home Secretary K. Malaisamy who raised many an eyebrow when he joined the AIADMK, even though he made no secret of his love for the ruling party at that time. He became an MP.
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Another IAS officer who went to the AIADMK was V. Palanisamy. But he could not make it big in politics.
Former IAS officer P. Sivakami said while every one had the fundamental right to join or launch a political party, she would not appreciate civil servants joining political parties.
Ms. Sivakami, who joined the Bahujan Samaj Party before launching her own outfit Samuga Samathuva Padai, said civil servants considered politics as post-retirement rehabilitation and their decision was not shaped by any commitment.
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Another former IAS officer who later became Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said if civil servants joined politics with great expectations, they would be disappointed as politics was entirely different.
“A civil servant is like a monarch in his department. But in politics the same person is a drop in the ocean. He can go by rule book while in service, but in politics he should abide by the policy of the party. He can contribute, but cannot alter anything drastically,” said Mr. Velu, who joined the PMK and became a minister in UPA-I. Another well-known IAS officer to join politics was V.S. Chandralekha.