Why BJP is going after V K Pandian, former Naveen Patnaik aide

“Pandian is still active in the BJD despite his decision to withdraw from active politics and continues to enjoy strong rapport with former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Through the inquiry, the government may have planned to hit them (BJD) where it hurts,” said a BJP leader.

Patnaik’s public defence of his former secretary and his decision to appoint a politically inexperienced leader such as Santrupt Misra as his first-ever political secretary point to Pandian’s lingering presence behind the scenes, according to BJD insiders. According to them, he still has full access to Naveen Niwas, Patnaik’s residence, and a say in party affairs. While other leaders directly meet Patnaik to discuss party matters, only those perceived to be close to Pandian meet him at the CM’s residence, according to sources.

Though many in the BJD were critical of Pandian and his statewide tours — the reason for the expulsion of editor-politician Soumya Ranjan Patnaik last September was attributed to his criticism, in multiple editorials in his vernacular daily Sambad, of Pandian’s tours — some have defended the former leader, saying he undertook those visits on Patnaik’s instructions. They also claimed there was no misappropriation of funds. “The BJP has been making noise over a non-issue after coming to power in the state,” said former BJD MLA Sambit Routray.

A senior BJD leader said the BJP was on the wrong path if it believed it could checkmate his party by targeting Pandian. “Pandian may have a good rapport with Naveen Patnaik but it is the latter who has directed the party to take a tough stance against the BJP both in Parliament and Assembly and outside,” the BJD functionary said on the condition of anonymity.

He said the BJD had already announced programmes against the state government for allegedly reneging on its poll promise of increasing the social security pension to Rs 3,000 per month. According to the BJD leader, a statewide tour to protest against the government’s failure to fulfil many of its electoral promises is also in the works.

The crux of the allegations

Odisha’s Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena earlier this week announced the government’s plan to probe Pandian’s helicopter rides. The details would be shared once the inquiry began, the minister told The Indian Express.

“As part of our zero-corruption policy, we will inquire into how one official extensively used helicopters to tour across the state and the amount spent from the state exchequer for the purpose. Action will certainly be taken against anyone if there has been a misuse of the state exchequer,” Jena said.

Claiming that “450 helipads” had been built for Pandian’s visits, State Works Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said, “Who authorised the construction of the helipads and how the expenses were met will be properly probed. Strict action will be taken against those involved in the illegal construction.”

Even during its time in the Opposition, the BJP opposed Pandian’s visits, staging protests and disrupting Assembly proceedings. The Tamil-born IAS officer of 2000 cadre, who served as Patnaik’s private secretary for more than 13 years, took a much more public role from March 2023. Between March and June, he visited various Assembly constituencies for the grievance redress hearings. Many, including several BJD leaders, believed it was a prelude to Pandian’s political launch. That eventually happened in November, a month after he resigned from the civil services.

As the criticism of the helicopter rides mounted, both within the BJD and from the Opposition, Patnaik defended his private secretary. “As Covid caused dislocation in grievance redressal, I decided to reach out to people by taking the CM grievance cell to the doorsteps of the people. As per my direction, officers from the CMO conducted decentralised grievances cell in all the districts,” Patnaik told the Assembly in a statement on September 25. Justifying the use of helicopters, Patnaik said it would have taken one and a half years to carry out the exercise via road trips.

Though the CMO officially held the grievance redress meetings, the focus always remained on Pandian, with BJD MLAs and ministers who mobilised huge crowds for the meetings not getting space on the stage. According to his many detractors in the BJD, this focus on Pandian as Patnaik’s possible successor damaged the party in the elections.