Vk Pandian Said Naveen Patnaik Will Be "finished In This Election" Not By The BJP But By His Aide.

Vk Pandian said Naveen Patnaik will be “finished in this election” not by the BJP but by his aide.

In an election rally in Berhampur, Biplab Kumar Deb, the former Chief Minister of Tripura, made a bold statement regarding Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Deb asserted that it would not be the BJP but rather Naveen Patnaik’s aide, V K Pandian, who would determine the outcome of this election. He emphasized that if Naveen Patnaik’s father, Biju Patnaik, were alive, he would be disheartened to witness the state being governed by an “outsider.” Deb questioned why an elected representative should not lead the state and expressed his belief that it was time for Patnaik to retire. He urged party workers to liberate Odisha from this “outsider” influence and suggested that handing over the state to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for five years would elevate it to the top rank. The Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in Odisha are scheduled to take place simultaneously in four phases, starting on May 13.

Who is VK Pandian?

V. Karthikeyan Pandian, also known as VK Pandian, is a prominent political figure in Odisha, India. Let me share some key details about him: Born on May 29, 1974, in Tamil Nadu, India.Completed a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Madurai campus).Obtained a master’s degree from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi¹.

Career Highlights:Joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 2000.Played a crucial role during the devastating super cyclone that hit Odisha.Served as the Sub Collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district, ensuring successful implementation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers.As Additional District Magistrate in Rourkela, he turned around the bankrupt Rourkela Development Agency (RDA) within five months, enabling them to return money to investors.Appointed as the District Collector of Mayurbhanj, where he prioritized grassroots-level benefits from government plans and policies. He introduced the Single Window System for disbursement of certificates to Persons with Disability, significantly increasing distribution.
Role in Odisha Politics:
- Served as the Private Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for 12 years.
- Later became the Secretary to the Chief Minister’s Transformational Initiatives of the Odisha Government.
- In November 2023, Pandian formally joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and senior party leaders.
- He was appointed as Chairman of 5T (Transformational Initiatives) with the rank of a Cabinet Minister² ³ ⁴.