Kalaburagi:Retired IAS officer and former Karnataka Chief Secretary Rathna Prabha, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of party State President BS Yeddyurappa, here on Wednesday.
Commenting on her decision to join the saffron party, she said, "I have decided to join BJP as the Prime Minister has been striving to develop the country in a unique manner. I wanted to do service to the nation and felt this was one party apt for me to
Ratna Prabha had earlier on multiple occasions denied joining the BJP in light of multiple reports suggesting her affinity towards the saffron party.
She had retired from the post of Chief Secretary at the end of June last year, after talks of her getting a second three-month extension did not materialise. She is very popular in the Hyderabad Karnataka region, having served many positions there, including as the first woman District Collector of Raichur in the northwestern part of the state.
An IAS officer of 1981 batch, she was appointed as the third woman Chief Secretary in the state ahead of the elections by then CM Siddaramaiah in November
Earlier, BS Yeddyurappa, the state BJP president had attacked the then CM for choosing Subhash Chandra Khuntia (who was then away on a central deputation) over Ratna Prabha in September 2016, for the Chief Secretary post.
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