Ex-Karnataka IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil joins Tamil Nadu Congress

Ex-Karnataka IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil, who quit service in 2019, has joined the Tamil Nadu Congress on Monday, November 9.

Chennai: More than a year after he quit the civil services, former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Karnataka cadre, S Sasikanth Senthil, has joined the Congress in Chennai on Monday.

Sasikanth’s entry into Congress comes just three months after K Annamalai, a former Karnataka-cadre IPS officer, joined the BJP in Tamil Nadu

Announcing his decision, he posted on Twitter: “I have been an activist trying to be a voice for the less privileged all through my life, wherever I was and would continue the same until my last breath”.

Sasikanth Senthil, the IAS officer who resigned on 6 September 2019 citing “disillusionment with the state of democracy in the country” and has since protested the government over the Citizenship Amendment Act and other issues.

Addressing the media Sasikanth stated “I will not be that typical MLA or MP that you see. I plan to work differently and help in structuring and organising the party while popularising the Congress values and policies. The Congress will be placed strongly by 2024 and will regain its strength and vote-bank in due time”.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, AICC-in-charge of Tamil Nadu, stated that Sasikanth will be a big asset for the party as his experience and commitment will make a big difference.

As quoted in ThePrint Dinesh said “He (Sasikanth) will prove to be a good asset for the party, and especially in Tamil Nadu. His experience as an upright officer will also prove extremely helpful to rebuild and re-energise the party. Senthil built a good name in Karnataka with his honest work. His decision to join the Congress was based on how he found the values of the party in line with his thinking”.