"People Will Choose Naveen Patnaik's Successor": Ex-Bureaucrat VK Pandian

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's close aide VK Pandian said he does not plan to contest the Lok Sabha election and that he prefers to work toward taking Odisha to "the pinnacle of development".

The former IAS officer asserted that he wanted to work for Naveen Patnaik.

"In 2024, I am not going to contest any elections. I was asked for a party post also. I said, no, I'll just work for Naveen Patnaik. He is my leader. I draw a lot of inspiration from him. He has given me so much freedom for so long to do great work. So I am indebted to him and the state. The people of the state have shown so much love and affection for me. So I go with the flow," Mr Pandian said.

The bureaucrat who joined Mr Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal in November 2023 said that he did so with "a clear heart to make Naveen Patnaik Chief Minister for the sixth time".

"So I told the Chief Minister, I am going to assist you in this election process. I am going to work for you. No expectations. I will work for you," Mr Pandian said.

The former IAS officer also said that he wants to help Odisha Chief Minister, adding that he is an "inspiration".

Asked what is wrong in contesting an election, the ex-bureaucrat said, "It's not a wrong thing to do. No, not at all. We all are products of democracy. Ours is a democratic country. But in 2024, I decided that I should be helping the Chief Minister. I want to help him because whatever is said and done, it's his sixth term. And I draw inspiration from him. He is 78 years old. How much hard work he does. One draws inspiration from him."

He further said that he realised that he wouldn't be able to do political work if he continued in the bureaucracy.

Reacting to the question of being the heir to Naveen Babu's politics, he said that the people of Odisha will decide Mr Patnaik's successor.

"As the Chief Minister has always said, the people of Odisha will decide who will succeed him. I think that is the best answer to give. I am just helping him in whichever way I can. I do not have any ambitions. I am just helping the Chief Minister in whichever way he wants me to. I am not even contesting the elections," Mr Pandian said.

He further said that Mr Patnaik has groomed him to serve the people in the best possible way, adding that the people of Odisha will decide what kind of leadership they want.

"He has groomed me to serve the people in the best possible way. But he has always said, the people of the state will decide who will succeed him. That is the stand he has always taken. He is very transparent that way. If the people of Odisha want a particular kind of leadership, they will select it. So, and one goes with the flow, no expectations," he added.

Noting that the BJD is his family, Mr Pandian said he received enormous love and affection from the party and the people.

"I see the BJD as a family. Even in brothers and sisters, there will be some jealousy and some anger. That's how I see it. And one should live with it. But I get enormous love and affection from the party and the people. It's unbelievable sometimes. Unexplainable. And that is that inexplicable thing that made me jump into this. So it's the people's love finally what matters. And the party respects the people's love," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)