Following the Odisha assembly election outcomes, outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stated on Saturday that Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader VK Pandian is not designated as his “successor,” highlighting that the residents of the state will determine this.
Pandian, an IAS officer from the 2000 batch, worked as Patnaik’s private secretary for more than twenty years. He transitioned to the BJD in 2023 following voluntary retirement from the civil service.
In a conversation with reporters in Odisha’s Bhubaneshwar, Patnaik said, “I would like to say that Mr Pandian has also worked and helped in health, education, sports, and our programme of temple restoration. Mr Pandian joined the party but has not had any posts. I have always clearly said that when they asked me about my successor, I said clearly that it was not Mr. Pandian. I repeat it. The people of Odisha will decide my successor.”
The BJD faced a loss in the Odisha assembly elections to the Bharatiya Janata Party, marking the conclusion of Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year tenure. Patnaik also conveyed his appreciation to the people of Odisha, and said, “My deep gratitude to the people of Odisha, for blessing me time and again, showering me with their blessings. Also, I think that we have always tried to do an excellent job and we have much to be proud of in our government and our party.”
On BJD’s debacle in Odisha, he stated, “That is in the people’s hands. In a democracy, you either win or lose. Having been defeated after a long time, we must always take the verdict of the people gracefully. I have always said that the four and a half crore people of Odisha are my family and I will continue to serve them in whichever way I can.”
“It has also come to my attention that there has been some criticism of Mr. Pandian. This is unfortunate. As an officer, he did excellent work. He did an excellent job helping with the two cyclones and the COVID-19 epidemic in our state. Later, he retired from bureaucracy and joined my party and he has contributed largely to that by doing excellent work. He is a person of integrity and honesty and he should be respected for that,” he added.
Following significant losses in both the State Assembly and Parliamentary elections, the 24-year-long tenure of Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik came to an end as he tendered his resignation to Odisha Governor Raghubar Das at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
BJD, which had been in power in Odisha since 1997, was defeated by the BJP, terminating Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year leadership as Chief Minister. In the 147-seat assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured 78 seats, while the BJD obtained 51 seats, falling significantly short of the majority mark of 74, and the Indian National Congress secured 14 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP also performed well by winning 20 out of the 21 parliamentary seats in the state, with the remaining one seat secured by the Congress.