Shah Faesal leaves IAS, will contest 2019 Lok Sabha election; Omar Abdullah welcomes him to 'fold of politicians'

IAS officer Shah Faesal, the first Kashmiri to top the civil services exam, has announced that he is resigning from his post to enter active politics ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He is reportedly set to contest elections from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla on a National Conference (NC) ticket.

Reacting to the speculations, NC leader Omar Abdullah “welcomed” Faesal to the political fold on Wednesday. He tweeted:

The bureaucracy’s loss is politics’ gain. Welcome to the fold @shahfaesal. https://t.co/955C4m5T6V

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 9, 2019

Omar, however, clarified that he wasn’t welcoming Faesal to NC itself. “Actually I welcomed him to fold of politicians. His future political plans are his to announce,” he further tweeted.

In 2018, Faesal had had a run-in with the authorities after he posted “sarcastic tweets” commenting on the frequent incidents of rape in the country, prompting the Jammu and Kashmir administration to initiate a departmental inquiry against him.

A doctor by profession, Faesal was the managing director of the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) before he went to Harvard University in the United States to pursue further studies. In 2009, Faesal was allotted the Jammu and Kashmir cadre , and served in various capacities, including as the director, Education and deputy commissioner.