V.K. Pandian: Odisha’s Chief Minister-in-waiting?

The former bureaucrat emerges as Naveen Patnaik’s trusted aide, affirming expectations of leading BJD after Patnaik’s retirement.

Naveen Patnaik with Pandian, when he was Patnaik’s private secretary, in April 2020, in Cuttack. | Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT

IAS officer V.K. Pandian is the most talked about political figure in Odisha these days. His career took a definitive turn when, on November 27, he formally joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and senior leaders of the party. “With the guidance of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, I will work for the people of Odisha in a dedicated, humble, and selfless manner,” Pandian said after joining the BJD.

Pinaki Misra, senior BJD leader and Puri MP, told reporters: “The Chief Minister has told Pandian to work for the party and the State just like he worked with him as his private secretary for the past 13-14 years. His administrative and political experience will be an asset for the party.” Although Pandian’s role within the party is yet to be formally announced, BJD insiders said that he will play a crucial role in the campaign programme and candidate selection for the party as Odisha gears up for the Legislative Assembly election in 2024.

Pandian’s latest move did not come as a surprise. On October 23, the 2000-batch IAS officer resigned as a bureaucrat, opting for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme. A day later, he was appointed as Chairman of 5T (Teamwork, Technology, Transparency, Transformation and Time limit), Odisha’s flagship initiative, and of Nabin Odisha, a recently launched rural development scheme, in a rank equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister.

‘True disciple’

Soon after, a senior BJD leader described Pandian as the “true disciple of Naveen Patnaik”, while the party’s social media handles equated this VK with the other VK—India’s star cricketer Virat Kohli—ahead of the World Cup final.

Born on May 29, 1974, in Tamil Nadu, Pandian began his journey in the IAS in the Punjab cadre. In 2002, he was appointed as Sub-collector of Dharmagarh, one of the subdivisional headquarters of Odisha’s Kalahandi district, which was once infamous for its malnutrition-related deaths and poverty. Pandian was among the youngest Collectors in the country when, in 2005, he took charge of tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj, the largest district in Odisha.

V.K. Pandian (centre) as District Collector of Ganjam interacts with physically challenged people at Berhampur stadium on March 12, 2008. | Photo Credit: LINGARAJ PANDA

This was followed by a stint in Ganjam district, which is Patnaik’s home turf. Between the two postings, Pandian was briefly roped in to help with the computerisation of records at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bhubaneswar. His time as Ganjam’s Collector brought him directly to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), and he joined as Patnaik’s private secretary in 2011.

“In some cases, working in Ganjam has proved to be the qualifier for important portfolios. Pandian proved his mettle with his decision-making and efficiency,” said a former bureaucrat on condition of anonymity.

But even before Pandian entered the CMO, Patnaik had a strong bureaucratic team, composed of officers who had proved themselves with their handling of the super cyclone of 1999 that caused mass destruction in Odisha. This team, which had been working with Patnaik since 2000 when he was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha for the first time, was largely impenetrable. But Pandian could make inroads.

Highlights

• On November 27, V.K. Pandian formally joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and senior leaders of the party
• He is the Chairman of 5T (Teamwork, Technology, Transparency, Transformation and Time limit), Odisha’s flagship initiative, and of Nabin Odisha, a recently launched rural development scheme, in a rank equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister
• He joined the Chief Minister’s Office as Patnaik’s private secretary in 2011 and gained trust with his dedication to schemes close to Patnaik’s heart

Developing trust

His chance to enter the innermost circle came in 2012, when Patnaik had a falling out with his then confidante, the IAS officer turned politician, Pyarimohan Mohapatra. As Patnaik’s key adviser, Mohapatra had been the brains behind all his decisions and moves until then. But they parted ways when Mohapatra allegedly tried to stage a coup, taking advantage of Patnaik’s absence from Bhubaneswar. As a result, the BJD faced several inner-party issues, and this came at a time when some veteran leaders had either died or left the party. But with Pandian taking Mohapatra’s place, a semblance of normalcy was restored in the party.

“In the initial years, as Patnaik’s private secretary, Pandian developed trust. Since 2014, there has been no looking back for him. It also helped that the areas of work in which he showed an interest—fields like sports and temples—are also Patnaik’s favourites. His ideas were always projected as pro-people, and there was little or no scope to reject them,” said the bureaucrat.

With Patnaik’s immediate family members away from Odisha and in the absence of capable party leaders, Pandian took charge of many things concerning Patnaik, including his health.

The 5T initiative

In 2019, after Patnaik was elected Chief Minister for the fifth time, the photograph that became the talk of the town had Patnaik sitting on a chair with Pandian standing by his side, both clad in signature whites. It was said that Patnaik had found his most trusted bureaucrat, whom he could bank on for everything.

V.K. Pandian joined the Biju Janata Dal in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and party leaders at Naveen Niwas, Bhubaneswar, on November 27, 2023. | Photo Credit: ANI

In his fifth term, Patnaik improved upon his previous initiative, 3T (Teamwork, Transparency and Technology, the three factors on which the performance of government officials and projects were judged), upgrading it to 5T with the addition of Transformation and Time limit. The 5T initiative under Pandian and his team at the CMO monitors and implements all key projects from all departments. This scheme was followed by the “Modi Sarkar” in 2019, in an attempt to take governance to the people’s doorsteps. Pandian is said to have played a role in making this happen.

On March 2, 2023, Pandian toured Malkangiri district’s Swabhiman Anchal, the first Maoist bastion to come under the complete control of the State government. What was meant to be a routine two-day field tour soon turned into a full-fledged all-districts tour. And over the next seven months, Pandian had covered 30 districts of Odisha.

His tours soon became the target of the opposition’s ire: they were described as “political in nature”, with a bureaucrat performing the duties of a public representative. The opposition also questioned Pandian’s use of a State helicopter. But Patnaik stood by Pandian, defending his actions. And then he eliminated the chances of further criticism on this account by inducting Pandian into the BJD in November.

Although Pandian is mostly seen as Patnaik’s shadow, he is quite popular in his individual capacity too. He has one million followers on Instagram: his page has shots and reels of him walking and taking stock of new projects, meeting key national and international figures, and greeting them with “Jai Jagannath”, the customary greeting of the Odia people.

Temple project

Observers say that Pandian’s dedication to the cause of the Puri Jagannath temple also gives him the edge. Incidentally, the ambitious Srimandir Parikrama project meant to beautify the temple at a cost of Rs.943 crore is also being overseen by 5T.

“Of all the bureaucrats here, he seems to be the one who is most dedicated to the cause of the Puri temple, even though he is a non-Odia. That’s getting the pulse of what the high command and the public want. This can never go wrong,” said a former leader of the BJD.

Pandian has designed the BJD’s new office named Shank Bhavan: shank (conch) is the party symbol. There are strict rules within the office premises, such as no-entry for meat-based food.

Predictably, Pandian’s rise has left many in the BJD jittery. On September 10, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, a BJD leader and former editor of one of Odisha’s largest vernacular dailies, scathingly criticised Pandian’s “chopper ride” to districts and accused him of meddling in State politics. A few days after the piece was published, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik was expelled as the party’s vice president on “disciplinary grounds”. With this Patnaik may well have signalled who his successor will be.

Aishwarya Mohanty is an independent journalist covering gender, social justice, and environment issues.