Bhubaneswar: V K Pandian has announced retirement from active politics following debacle of BJD in the recently concluded Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
He also sought apology from the Biju Parivar and BJD workers for the defeat.
“I’m sorry if I have hurt anyone on this journey. I’m sorry if this campaign narrative against me has had a part to play with BJD’s loss. I apologise to the entire Biju Parivar including all the workers for this and my heartfelt gratitude to the lakhs and lakhs of BJD members, whom I am associated with,” Shri Pandian said in a video message with folded hands.
“The biggest earning in my lifetime has been the love, affection and the goodwill of Odisha. My intent of joining politics was only to assist Naveen Babu and now consciously, I have decided to withdraw myself from active politics,” he announced.
The former IAS officer said he will always keep Odisha in the core of his heart and his Guru Naveen Babu in his breath. He prayed to Lord Jagannath for their wellbeing and prosperity.
In the video message, Shri Pandian said, “I come from a humble family and a small village and my dream since childhood was to join IAS and serve the people. Lord Jagannath made it happen. Because my family (wife) belongs to Kendrapara, I came to Odisha.”
From the day I set foot on the soil of Odisha, I have received immense love and affection from the people of Odisha. 12 years ago, I joined the chief minister’s office (CMO). It was an honour to work for Naveen Patnaik, the experience, the learning I had from him is for lifetime. His grace, leadership, ethics, and above all, his love of people of Odisha always inspired me,” he said.
After his joining in the CMO, Patnaik’s expectation was to implement his vision for Odisha and he successfully crossed many milestones and health, education, poverty reduction, sports, investment, women empowerment, infrastructure, and also in temple and heritage projects, he said.
Working for the youth, school and college children gave him great satisfaction because his own childhood memories of studying in a government school helped him to implement the chief minister’s vision for school transformation under 5T, he said.
“During Covid, we travel to almost 30 districts to ensure that the health infrastructure is ready to serve the people. In this time, we faced two cyclones, and we worked very hard to save every precious life,” said Shri Pandian.
On his joining in the BJD, the ex-bureaucrat said, “I left IAS taking volunteer retirement and joined the BJD to assist my mentor Naveen Patnaik. My only intent was to help him as anyone will do for his mentor or his family.”
“I would like to set certain perceptions and narratives. Perhaps, it has been my shortcoming that I have not been able to effectively counter some of the political narratives at the right time, I reiterate that I came to politics to help my mentor, Naveen Patnaik ahead of the elections and I had no desire whatsoever for political post. Therefore, I was neither a candidate nor holding any post in the BJD,” he informed.
For the last 12 years, Shri Pandian said he has worked from early in the morning till midnight for Odisha and Naveen. Till today, the only property he has is what he inherited from his grandparents. “I or my immediate family have no other property anywhere in the world,” he claimed.
The BJD leader said his property statement remains the same even after 24 years of joining the IAS.
Shri Pandian had joined the BJD on November 27, 2023 and played a king maker role in the party during the election period. He was looking after the entire election management of the BJD during the recently held polls in the State.
Earlier in the day, former BJD MP Achyutananda Samanta had also announced retirement from active politics after he lost the Lok Sabha seat from Kandhamal.