Former-IAS and Naveen Patnaik’s aide VK Pandian joins BJD ahead of 2024 elections

After weeks of rumors, former bureaucrat VK Pandian, who was Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary, officially joined his party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), on Monday.

At Bhubaneswar’s Naveen Niwas, Pandian became a member of the party while Patnaik and other BJD leaders watched.

The event transpired subsequent to Pandian’s October 23 voluntary retirement from the Indian Civil Services. Pandian took on the position of chairman of 5T (Transformational Initiatives) and ‘Nabin Odisha’ in the Odisha government after the Center approved his voluntary retirement.

Following his voluntary retirement, there was speculation about Pandian’s potential return to politics in Odisha.

The BJD will benefit from Pandian’s induction into the party in ahead of the Lok Sabha elections of the following year. To continue winning in Odisha, the party has begun fortifying its organizational units in a number of constituencies. Pandian had previously attended meetings to review development projects in every district of Odisha.

Born in Tamil Nadu, Pandian is an IAS officer from the 2000 batch. He started out as a Dharmagarh sub-collector before moving on to become the district collector for several different areas. He began working for the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in 2011, and for the previous twelve years, he served as the Chief Minister’s private secretary.

During his time serving as the Chief Minister’s private secretary and 5T Secretary, Pandian came under fire from the opposition for allegedly participating in politics while still employed by the government.

He drew criticism earlier in the year after giving speeches and adressing huge public in various state districts.

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