Bhubaneswar : Former IAS officer and 5T chairman VK Pandian’s recent enrolment as a member of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) marks his formal entry into politics. This is also likely to put an end to the succession debate in Odisha’s longest surviving regional party as Pandian has joined BJD with the blessings of chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
This is yet another political master stroke of Patnaik who with this move has successfully projected himself as someone who does not believe in dynastic politics. He has given a lie to the speculation about him choosing a successor from within the family. Instead by projecting Pandian as his likely successor he has put a premium on merit.
The 2000-batch Tamil Nadu-born IAS officer proved his administrative acumen and excellence during the years that he served the state government before taking country retirement. Eversince being appointed private secretary to chief minister Naveen Patnaik in 2011 he has been acting like his eyes and ears and ensuring the implementation of government schemes with high degree of efficiency.
Many political observers believe that his entry into the ruling BJD is the best thing to have happened to Odisha politics in recent years. Irrespective of whether or not he holds any organisational post in the party he is expected to contribute immensely to its growth and even guide the party’s campaign in the next general elections.
Till recently people only used to guess about the role he was playing in strengthening the party which has emerged as the most successful regional party in the history of Odisha. Never before has a regional party in the state enjoyed such a strong cadre base nor functioned in such an organised manner. Pandian, who was till recently private secretary to the chief minister, was easily the man behind BJD’s success. In collaboration with chief minister Naveen Patnaik he turned the party into an election winning machine.
But all this while he never really stepped out of the line and embarrassed his boss. When things started getting difficult for him and Patnaik’s political opponents began questioning his visits to districts, he took the conscious decision to give up his job as a highly successful and powerful bureaucrat so that he could don the political garbs formally. That transition is complete with his joining the BJD.
What is most important is that all along he has enjoyed the blessings of his boss who trusts him completely. This is proof of not only his efficiency but also his loyalty. He joined the BJD at Naveen Nivas in the presence of the chief minister and other senior party leaders. Welcoming him to the party, Patnaik said that Pandian had been working hard for the people of Odisha for a long time and had earned their trust and respect. He hoped that his former secretary would continue to work in the same way in the future.
Pandian, who had quit the IAS last month and appointed chairman of 5T Initiatives and Nabin Odisha with a Cabinet minister’s rank, pledged to work selflessly for the people of the state with sincerity and dedication with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and under the guidance of the chief minister.
Though the party is yet to announce what role he would be assigned in the BJD speculation is rife that the post of working president might be created to accommodate him. Pandian was felicitated at a meeting at Sankha Bhawan after joining the party where the general secretary (organisation) of the BJD Pranab Prakash Das, senior leaders, MPs, MLAs and office-bearers of all frontal organisations of BJD were present. Senior BJD leaders expressed hope that the party would immensely benefit from Pandian’s administrative and political experience.
Pandian took voluntary retirement from government service on October 23 this year. He was later appointed as the chairman of the state’s flagship 5T (transformational initiative) and Nabin (new) Odisha scheme in the rank of a cabinet minister who would work directly under the chief minister.
The 2000-batch IAS officer began his bureaucratic career in 2002 as the sub-collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district and was then posted as the collector of Mayurbhanj district in 2005. Later, he was appointed as the collector of Ganjam in 2007. During his tenure in Ganjam, he came close to the chief minister who also hails from the district.
He was appointed secretary to Patnaik in 2011 and has ever since clung to the chief minister like his shadow. Widely perceived as the man wielding real power behind the throne, the Tamil Nadu-born former IAS officer enjoys immense influence both in the government and the party. It is common knowledge that he guided BJD’s electoral campaigns in 2019 elections and also had a hand in the selection of party candidates. While Patnaik made it clear that Pandian was his blue eyed boy, the latter took full control of government and BJD affairs. He is likely to pick up from where he has left. He is widely expected to succeed Patnaik and if that happens it will be promotion purely on the basis of merit.
