Former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey, who has recently taken voluntary retirement from his service, has joined Janata Dal (United) on Sunday after repeatedly claiming that he wouldn’t be joining politics. On Saturday, Pandey met chief minister Nitish Kumar at the party office and again dismissed speculations over his joining politic. After being the centre of the Maharashtra police versus Bihar police controversy in the investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput death case, his sudden decision to retire from his services triggered speculations.

“I was called by CM himself and asked to join. Whatever the party asks me to do, I will do. I don’t understand politics. I am a simple person who has spent his time working for the downtrodden section of society,” he said.

Pandey’s voluntary retirement just before the Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 set tongues wagging as political ambition is not new for this 1987-batch IPS officer. In March 2009, he took premature retirement as he reportedly wanted to contest the Lok Sabha elections on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket but was not granted one.

On Saturday, the former DGP met Nitish Kumar but said it was not a political meet. “I came here to thank chief minister Nitish Kumar as he gave me full freedom to work. There was no talk related to polls and I have not yet decided on my joining the JD (U),” Pandey had said.. But JD(U) sources have confirmed that the former DGP “would be joining the party at the earliest.”

Just after his voluntary retirement, a music video featuring Pandey as ‘Bihar’s Robinhood’ was released on YouTube — in what is being seen as the groundwork to build his image.

Bihar is scheduled to go to the polls in three phases — on October 29, November 3 and November 7. The counting will be held on November 10.