Retired IAS officer VK Pandian has formally joined the Biju Janata Dal, Naveen Patnaik’s party that has been ruling Odisha for over 20 years now. VK Pandian had recently taken voluntary retirement from the civil services and was immediately given a cabinet minister equivalent in the Odisha government. He is currently the chairman of “5T” and the Nabin Odisha programs.
VK Pandian has been the de facto ‘right-hand’ man of CM Naveen Patnaik for over a decade. He was an Odisha cadre IAS officer from the 2000 batch who hails originally from Tamil Nadu.
Pandian’s increasing influence and power projection in Odisha politics was raising many eyebrows as Opposition leaders questioned how a serving IAS officer could be projected as the CM’s envoy and ‘replacement’, flying around in helicopters and being welcomed with garlands and flowers by the public and party leaders wherever he goes. Many opposition leaders had challenged Pandian to quit his job and join active politics.
Pandian openly declared in public meetings that he was there to meet people on behalf of CM Patnaik. CM Patnaik, who is 77, is not very physically active and does not step out of the CM residence very often. His continuous absence from the Odisha assembly has also been a talking point in political circles.
On October 23, Pandian finally took VRS, and just hours later, he was given a cabinet minister rank by CM Patnaik. Pandian was appointed the chairman of “5T” and Nabin Odisha programs, Odisha government initiatives aimed at the transformation of education, governance, and healthcare across the state.
Pandian has had a stellar career as an IAS officer, he was called frequently to give lectures at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Education (LBSNAA ), where selected eurocrats are trained, and had received many accolades and awards for his work over the years.
In 2011, Pandian was appointed as the Private Secretary of CM Naveen Patnaik. Though he was said to be very close to the CM and was widely seen as his ‘right hand’ man, Pandian rose to prominence in Odisha’s political and executive scenario after 2019, when he was appointed as the ‘5T secretary’.
5T is an Odisha government initiative by CM Patnaik to bring in 5Ts (transparency, transformation, teamwork, technology, and time management) across govt bodies. Pandian has been associated with the redevelopment of high schools across the state, the renovation of ancient temples, and the implementation of Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, a healthcare initiative that provides free-of-cost medical facilities to people.
As Pandian started becoming the “face” of the Naveen Patnaik government, the Opposition raised questions, asking why a serving IAS officer is being projected as the ‘boss’ over elected MLAs and ministers in the state.
However, ending all speculations, Panidan has finally (formally) joined Odisha politics. He already enjoys the perception of being the most powerful man currently in Odisha politics, and speculations are rife that he may now contest elections in 2024, paving the way for him to officially become a powerful minister, or even the CM of the state eventually.
Pandian’s wife Sujata Karthikeyan is also a senior IAS officer in the state.
It is notable here that Naveen Patnaik is a 5th term CM and his party BJD has been ruling Odisha since 2000. BJD has a thumping majority in the state assembly and the next largest party, the BJP, has less than one-fourth of the seats compared to BJD.