Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide and former IAS officer V K Pandian joined the BJD on Monday in the presence of Patnaik and other senior party leaders at Naveen Niwas. The BJD’s decision to induct Pandian into the party fold on Kartik Purnima, considered to be the auspicious day in Odisha, holds huge political significance. Though the role and position which Pandian, who wielded huge influence in Odisha’s corridor of power, is yet to be clear, BJD insiders said his role will be crucial for designing the party’s campaign plan and candidate selection ahead of the forthcoming Assembly and general elections due in April-May next year. The Tamil Nadu-born Pandian is likely to be given a position in the Biju Janata Dal next to Patnaik, who continues to be the president of the ruling since its inception on December 26, 1997. Senior BJD leader and party’s leader in Lok Sabha Pinaki Mishra said Pandian took blessings of Patnaik by touching his feet before formally joining the party at 10.15 am. “The CM told Pandian to work for the party and the state the way he worked with him as his (private secretary) for the past 13-14 years. The CM said his past administrative and political experience will be an asset for the party,” Mishra told reporters at Naveen Niwas. Mishra also tried to downplay the speculations over his acceptance in the party by senior leaders being a native of Tamil Nadu. He said, “All the senior leaders are happy with his induction into the party.” Moments after his induction into the party, Pandian visited Sankha Bhawan, the headquarters of the BJD in Bhubaneswar along with senior leaders of the party. On October 23, Pandian, the 2000-batch IAS officer who as private secretary to the Odisha CM was considered the “most powerful bureaucrat” in the state, took voluntary retirement. A day later, he was appointed chairman of Nabin Odisha and Vision 5T, the Patnaik government’s flagship initiatives, with the rank of Cabinet minister. Pandian, 48, made his mark as the collector of the state's larger districts, such as Mayurbhanj and Ganjam, Patnaik’s home district, which seems to be the reason that had drawn Patnaik’s attention to Pandian. By May 2011, he was in the CM’s office as his private secretary. Pandian has continued in the post since, never even going for Central deputation, unlike other colleagues. It was in March 2023, when Pandian started visiting districts to attend “public grievance” meetings apparently on the direction of the chief minister, where he took a public role by shaking hands with people, announcing schemes for different areas and making speeches like political leaders. Pandian’s wife Sujata Karthikeyan is also an IAS officer and his batchmate. She is posted as the commissioner of the Mission Shakti department. Recently, she was also appointed to the Odia language, literature and culture department.
