Out of sight, not out of picture: BJD leaders see the hand of V K Pandian in Naveen’s recent moves

This was the second instance of Patnaik defending Pandian in public since the latter’s decision to leave active politics. On June 8, a day before Pandian made his announcement, Patnaik said the criticism of the bureaucrat-turned-politician by a section of the BJD leaders over the poll loss was “unfortunate”, and that as an officer Pandian did “excellent work”.

BJD insiders say Patnaik’s statements are proof of Pandian’s lingering “stamp” on the party from behind the scenes. 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, the sources said.

A senior BJD leader pointed to Patnaik choosing Santrupt Misra as his first-ever political secretary, after the elections, as another proof of this. “Picking of a politically inexperienced person for the position shows Pandian will continue to aid Patnaik on important BJD decisions, which he was doing before the 2019 polls as his private secretary,” the BJD leader, requesting anonymity.

Patnaik went ahead with Misra, a former corporate executive, despite the displeasure of senior BJD leaders who want more say in the functioning of the party. Many are questioning in private the fact that the party has not yet reviewed the reasons for its loss in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections despite Patnaik’s assurance that a committee would be set up for the same, and to suggest a roadmap to fight the BJP.

“It is not difficult to fathom why the BJD is not reviewing the reasons for its defeat. If a review happens, all fingers will be pointed at Pandian and the coterie for the defeat. He (Pandian) seems to have managed to convince the party president not to go in for a review,” a BJD leader said.

However, since the elections, leaders close to Pandian such as Pranab Prakash Das, who was the organisational secretary, and general secretary (media affairs) Manas Mangaraj have either been sidelined or kept away from party activities.

Several senior leaders have also been critical of Patnaik’s decision to appoint a “Shadow Cabinet”, on the lines of the prevalent practice by the Opposition in the United Kingdom. Under this, Patnaik has assigned different departments to the BJD’s 50 MLAs, and they are expected to keep a close watch on the same to monitor the government’s activities.

“Had Naveen babu realised the importance of political leaders before the polls, instead of giving importance to one bureaucrat, he would have been on his way to becoming the longest-serving CM of the country. The Shadow Cabinet move seems to be an attempt to showcase that the party is trying to fight back and keep the flock together. This is corporate style of functioning and may not be very effective,” said a BJD MLA.