New Delhi: A new non-profit organization named the Biju Naveen Inspirational Foundation has officially commenced its operations in New Delhi, sparking political interest as its leadership coincides with a high-stakes Rajya Sabha contest in Odisha. Registered under the Indian Trusts Act of 1882, the foundation established its legal status on May 9, 2025, and secured its DARPAN registration on June 5, 2025.
The organization is led by President V Karthikeya Pandian, the former bureaucrat and key strategist for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). He is supported by Secretary Santrupt Misra, who is currently a prominent BJD candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on March 16, 2026. Trustee Ashok Kumar Parija, former Advocate General of Odisha, also serves on the board. Operating from 3, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road in Chanakya Puri, the foundation has designated the New Delhi district as its primary operational area.
The timing of the foundation’s visibility is significant as Odisha prepares for a biennial election to fill four Rajya Sabha seats. Santrupt Misra, a former corporate leader and political secretary to Naveen Patnaik, is a frontrunner for one of the seats. The foundation’s broad focus on education, literacy, health, and rural development reflects the “Naveen Odisha” brand of governance that the BJD is leveraging to maintain its influence in the Upper House.
The election has turned into a prestige battle, with the BJD and Congress joining forces to back a second candidate, Dr. Datteswar Hota, against BJP-supported independent Dilip Ray. As the BJD works to secure its presence in national politics following its 2024 state assembly loss, the foundation’s leadership by Pandian and Misra underscores the continuing partnership between Patnaik’s closest advisors and their long-term vision for the state’s social and political landscape.