Is V K Pandian Planning A Political Comeback? Public Appearance After Long Gap Fuels Speculation

Cuttack/ Bhubaneswar: Nearly 6 months after staying away from media glare following BJD defeat in the 2024 elections, bureaucrat-turned-politician V K Pandian made his maiden public appearance on Wednesday night, triggering speculation about his political career.

He was seen at a social function at Trisulia in Cuttack. It was the wedding of the daughter of former MLA Prabhat Biswal and the sister of sitting Cuttack-Choudwar MLA Souvik Biswal.

Pandian attending the wedding reception involving a political family has now fuelled discussions that it could be a matter of time before he plans a political comeback.

Five days after BJD was voted out of power in Odisha and drew a blank in Lok Sabha polls, Pandian on June 9 announced to withdraw from active politics just seven months after he joined politics. The party president Naveen Patnaik’s closest aide and confidant was blamed for the loss and also the resultant turmoil in the regional party.

The Tamil Nadu-born IAS officer took voluntary retirement in October 2023 and officially joined the BJD the following month. Though Pandian did not take any official post in the party, he emerged as a star campaigner of the party during the election. The BJP made Odia Asmita (Odia Pride) as its main poll plank, targeting Pandian by calling him an ‘outsider’.

Though Pandian has stayed away from the public, speculation over his behind-the-scenes moves continues in the BJD and other circles.