Pandian can win any Assembly seat in Ganjam, says BJD unit

As the State’s most powerful former IAS officer, V K Pandian, remained silent over his future course of action following his retirement from the All-India Service, the ruling BJD’s Ganjam unit said the ex-bureaucrat can win from any of the 13 Assembly segments in the district if he contests in the 2024 Assembly elections.

Ruling BJD’s Ganjam district president and former MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik said, ‘’Pandian will win if he contests from any of the 13 seats in Ganjam. But Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will decide who will get the ticket.’’ Pandian came to limelight while serving as the District Collector of Ganjam from where he was picked up by Naveen Patnaik and was appointed as his Private Secretary in 2011. The 2000 batch IAS officer worked in the CMO as Private Secretary to the Chief Minister and also the Secretary of 5T initiative till his voluntary retirement on October 23.

Stating that Pandian has not yet joined the BJD, Chyau Patnaik said Chief Minister and party president Naveen Patnaik will decide if the former IAS officer will join the party.

Pandian was, however, silent over his future course of action. A day after his resignation, the State government appointed him as the chairman of the 5T and Nabin Odisha initiatives with the status of a Cabinet minister on October 24.

Earlier, Pandian, besides serving as the Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, also worked as the Secretary of the 5T and looked after Nabin Odisha scheme under which each gram panchayat will be given Rs 50 lakh for development.

Meanwhile, BJD’s three Rajya Sabha members — Manas Mangaraj, Sujeet Kumar and Amar Patnaik — have openly come out in support of Pandian and praised his dedication for the people of Odisha. While Sujit Kumar described Pandian as a good administrator, Mangaraj said, ‘’Odisha has reached the peak of development under the supervision of Pandian. He is a perfect combination of realism and commitment.’’

Another Rajya Sabha member, Amar Patnaik, wrote on X, ‘’While I think personally it is a difficult decision for anyone to leave the so very respectable job of the IAS, particularly with several years left to retire, he (Pandian) seems to have taken this decision solely to serve Odisha and the people of the State. SALUTE!.’’

The Opposition Congress, however, maintained that Pandian may be accepted by the leaders of BJD, but not by the people of Odisha. ‘’The BJD leaders may accept Pandian, but not the people of Odisha,’’ OPCC president Sarat Pattnayak told reporters here.

‘’Why are 16 lakh people in the State unable to arrange a square meal a day and lakhs of youth are migrating outside the State in search of jobs?,’’ the Congress leader asked.

BJP spokesperson Golak Nayak said his party was all along demanding resignation of Pandian from government service as he was doing politics by breaking the All-India Service Rules.

‘’It is a fact that he has taken voluntary retirement. But, he has been again attached to CMO.’’ However, a day before, BJP State president Manmohan Samal had said, ‘’That chapter (Pandian working like politician being a government servant) is now closed after Pandian took voluntary retirement.’’

Meanwhile, speculations are rife in political circles over Pandian’s next course of action. Many leaders in the BJD also are not sure when the ex-bureaucrat will join the ruling regional party.