Ex top cop of Bengaluru to join AAP; Will Bhaskar Rao be the CM face

Bengaluru, Apr 4: Senior IPS (Rtd) officer and former Additional Director General of Police (Railways) B Bhaskar Rao is all set to foray into politics. The ex-cop will be joining Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday in New Delhi.

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia will hold a crucial press conference at the AAP Headquarters on Monday along with MLA and Karnataka In-charge Dilip Pandey and the party's Karnataka Convenor Shri Prithvi Reddy. "The leaders will induct and welcome ex-IPS officer Shri Bhaskar Rao (Former ADG of Karnataka) and his supporters into the party," a statement from the party said.

After the government accepted his resignation, Rao on Sunday took Twitter to announce that his journey in the police service has ended. He posted, "Last trip home after curtains down of 32 years in IPS. I have extreme gratitude to my family, the people of Karnataka and all my colleagues, friends,elders & young people in my life and finally the Governments of Karnataka across parties🙏🏽 heading into choppy seas[sic]"

Rao is an IPS officer from the 1990 batch who had served as Police Commissioner of Bengaluru between 2019 and 2020. He had also served as the ADGP in the Karnataka State Reserve Police and Internal Security Division. He had applied for voluntary retirement in September 2021.

A report on Indian Express claims that he was unhappy with the state government for the way he was treated. Hence, he decided to join the AAP.

Speculations are doing rounds that he will contest from the Basavanagudi constituency and might be a Chief Minister candidate.