Bhubaneswar: More than a year after ‘withdrawing’ from politics, V K Pandian’s recent public appearances have created a stir in BJD circles fuelled by speculation that he or his wife Sujata Karthikeyan might be testing waters before planning their future career paths.
The former IAS couple visited BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das (Bobby Das), who sustained injuries after being hit by a tear gas shell in his left leg as the party’s demonstration over FM College student’s death turned violent near the Lower PMG Square, at Apollo Hospital on Wednesday.
Pandian was earlier papped entering Naveen Niwas here after coming from the airport when the BJD president, Naveen Patnaik, returned to Odisha on July 12 following a successful spine surgery and a three-week recovery in Mumbai.
The bureaucrat-turned-politician quit active politics on June 9, 2024, after he was held responsible for the regional party’s defeat in Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections. He 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 during the elections. Following which, the BJP built its campaign around ‘Odia asmita (pride)‘, targeting the Tamil Nadu-born former IAS officer.
He then remained out of public glare only to emerge six months later at the wedding of former MLA Prabhat Biswal’s daughter at Trisulia in Cuttack. His presence at a wedding reception, involving a political family, had then fuelled discussions that it could be a matter of time before he plans a political comeback. However, the following days saw hardly any development in this regard.
The split voting by BJD MPs during the passing of Waqf Bill in Rajya Sabha in April this year again put the spotlight on Pandian with party members openly accusing him for the fiasco. It was alleged that he continued to wield significant influence in the party despite remaining away from the spotlight. Naveen, however, threw his weight behind his trusted aide, insisting that the former bureaucrat was not involved in any party activities after exiting the BJD 10 months ago. While ensuring that every voice is heard and every concern addressed, the BJD supremo sidestepped direct questions about Pandian’s current role.
Silence followed till his Naveen Niwas’ appearance on July 12. “Pandian, who continues to enjoy Naveen’s support, still matters a lot in BJD and might be waiting for an opportune moment to reveal his cards,” a BJD leader said, requesting anonymity.
Notably, his wife Sujata also took voluntary retirement from government service in March this year. There has been speculation that she might join the BJD and take on the role, which Pandian was forced to forego, to counter the BJP’s ‘outsider’ narrative.