Kolkata: V.K. Pandian’s voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service, and immediate appointment to a new role with the rank of a cabinet minister, have triggered both intense speculation and fresh acrimony in Odisha politics.
Pandian, who served as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary for 12 years, had risen to such prominence and popularity that he was widely seen as the face of the government, with Patnaik appearing to recede into the background. With his brainchild, the 5T initiative — the five principles of teamwork, technology, transparency, transformation, and time, implemented across a range of government initiarives — Pandian and a swashbuckling band of civil servants had transformed governance in the state.
At the same time, he faced criticism from the Opposition and even from within the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for encroaching on the realm of politics, while Patnaik faced flak for “outsourcing” the administration to civil servants.
Pandian’s sudden retirement and appointment as chairman of 5T and the Nabin Odisha scheme earlier this week, months ahead of the next state assembly elections, due in or before June 2024, pose a question: What next? What does Pandian’s — a Tamilian — future look like in Odisha politics?
A 2000-batch Odisha cadre officer, Pandian began his career as the sub-collector of Dharmagarh and in 2011, he was appointed Patnaik’s private secretary. Since then, he has been with the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and never gone on central deputation, according to reports.
His resignation was approved by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) within Monday evening — within 72 hours of submitting it — under rule 16(2A) of the All India Services. The next day, he was appointed to his new position through a state government order signed by additional Chief Secretary Surendra Kumar. ThePrint has a copy of the order.
The move came as no surprise to those watching his growth closely amid speculation that he or his wife Sujata Karthikeyan, also a civil servant, might fight the coming elections. Karthikeyan is from Odisha but unlike Pandian, she isn’t in the limelight.
Speaking to ThePrint, BJD MP Pinaki Misra said it was too early to speculate on whether Pandian would make his political debut in the 2024 assembly polls. However, he added, “With his exit from bureaucracy, V.K. Pandian will be involved with the BJD on a larger scale. He is an enormous asset for us, and his sharp administrative skills will help us to reap electoral benefits.”
Several BJD leaders ThePrint spoke to called it a significant move by Patnaik. “Pandian’s new post…arms him to drive the 5T initiatives in the rank of a cabinet minister. With the charge of (Ama Odisha) Nabin Odisha, he will play a key role in connecting with the gram panchayats directly. It is one of the biggest schemes of the government, under which each gram panchayat will get Rs 50 lakh for development,” said a BJD leader.
“While controlling the 5T, he will also be directly connected at the grassroots level through the panchayats,” the leader added.
Another senior party leader said Pandian would continue to benefit the party as long as he worked with Patnaik. “I doubt he will be a CM candidate. These are all speculations,” he added.
Political analyst Sandeep Sahu also sought to put to rest speculation that Pandian could be Patnaik’s political heir. “Pandian has been accepted by the people of Odisha because of Naveen babu’s blessings. He derives his popularity wholly from Naveen Patnaik. There will be a problem if he overshadows Patnaik, like in the past when IAS officers have tried to usurp power from the CM. Also, the people of Odisha won’t accept him as Patnaik’s heir because at the end of the day, he’s only an administrative person.”
ThePrint reached Pandian for comment via call and WhatsApp messages. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
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‘Understanding between BJD and BJP’, says Congress
Pandian’s appointment has evoked sharp reactions from the Opposition in the state. The Congress has accused the BJD of being hand-in-glove with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking to the media in Bhubaneswar Sunday, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sarat Pattanayak said, “The Centre has rejected many VRS (voluntary retirement) applications but the fact that they approved Pandian’s within 72 hours hints at a larger understanding between the two before the Odisha polls.”
Meanwhile, the BJP is ready to take on the former civil servant politically. Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said to ThePrint, “The BJP opposed Pandian as he was playing politics while being an administrative officer…whatever was happening here, with Pandian controlling everything, was unhealthy and we were opposing the system. As a citizen, he can now do politics. We will fight the upcoming elections.”
(Edited by ‘Smriti Sinha’)
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