Raipur ex-Collector joins BJP

New Delhi : A couple of days after resigning from government service, former Raipur Collector Om Prakash Choudhary joined the BJP here on Tuesday in the presence of its President Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.

"I welcome O.P. Choudhary, a symbol of youth power with administrative experience. Under the guidance of Amit Shah, he will establish new ideals for the youth of Chhattisgarh," Raman Singh tweeted.

Choudhary, an IAS officer of the 2005 batch, resigned on August 25, saying "he wanted to devote more time for the country's development". He is likely to contest the Assembly polls from Raigarh this year.

Choudhary, aged 37 and popular as a youth icon in Chhattisgarh, came into the limelight when he established an education city for tribals in south Bastar as Collector of Dantewada.

He was also posted as Commissioner of the Raipur Municipal Corporation and Director, Public Relations, in Chhattisgarh.

A resident of Bayang village in Raigarh district, Choudhary hails from the backward Agharia community, which has a sizeable population in the district.