Why Patnaik’s close aide Pandian is in the eye of political storm in Odisha

V Karthikeyan Pandian is not on the ballot. But the newly-minted leader of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and a close confidant of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik finds himself at the centre of the political slugfest currently underway over the state's twin elections for the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly seats.

Though he holds no official designation in the party that has uninterruptedly ruled Odisha since 2000, Pandian, who was Patnaik's secretary until he quit the IAS late last year and controlled all access to him, is a star campaigner for the BJD. His name features second only to Patnaik, and consequently, Pandian is leading the charge on behalf of his septuagenarian boss, who is no longer in the best of health.

Instead of Patnaik, it is Pandian who is travelling across the state, mostly on a helicopter, extolling 4.5 crore Odias to re-elect the chief minister for a record sixth term. In the process, he has kicked up a political storm besides the customary dust triggered by the flying machine.

Non-Odia identity

All and sundry, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to BJP president JP Nadda and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, have taken note of Pandian and, more importantly, his non-Odia identity. Born in Tamil Nadu, Pandian came to Odisha only after being married to an IAS colleague. Since he was born elsewhere and manages to speak Odia with a pronounced Tamil accent, Pandian’s ‘outsider’ status has emerged as the key issue this election season.

“Odia Asmita” (Odia Pride) is in danger”, the prime minister has said in several of his trademark choreographed media interviews. Following the same lines have been other leaders such as Nadda, Rahul Gandhi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

But the harshest attacks on Pandian, widely considered Patnaik’s political successor given his near-total control over the ruling party and the state administration, have come from rivals in the state.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, contesting from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat in western Odisha, routinely describes Pandian as nothing more than a ‘Gumasta’ (Munshi). The BJP MP candidate from Bhubaneswar Aparajita Sarangi, also a former IAS before she became an MP for the first time in 2019, persistently described Pandian during a televised press conference as ‘Sana Babu’ (Junior Babu) who is seeking to succeed ‘Bada Babu’ (Patnaik) and wrest power through the backdoor.

Safeguarding Odia pride?

Rivals of Pandian believe their offensive against him will resonate among voters, particularly since the BJD was formed as a regional outfit with the primary objective of safeguarding Odia pride and interests. But now that the aging Patnaik has chosen an 'outsider' Pandian as the second-most important leader if not outright as his successor yet, opponents feel emboldened in attempting to turn the tables on a chief minister who has remained electorally invincible to date.

While Patnaik's total reliance on Pandian is mired in mystery, the jury is still out on whether the Opposition offensive against his confidant is gaining currency on the ground. There, however, are tell-tale signs, particularly on social media that Pandian's prominence is not going down well with everyone. There have been periodic outrages when senior ministers were seen controlling traffic for Pandian's elaborate convoy, or when senior partymen are seen passively listening to Pandian addressing rallies alone from the stage.

Key issues take backseat

The extraordinary focus on Pandian has subsumed more pressing issues such as exploding unemployment, crumbling education infrastructure and growing water woes in the state. Though the ruling BJD is publicising the “transformative changes” it supposedly has brought to the state, official data hidden in government files shows another reality. Hundreds of schools are without teachers, internet, computer, science laboratories, and even without piped drinking water. Thousands from Odisha migrate annually, looking for a livelihood outside while nearly a lakh of government jobs remain to be filled up.

But Pandian is unfazed as he pushes ahead almost single-handedly with his campaign on behalf of his leader and the party. Taking selfies and energetically pointing to the boisterous crowds that many suspect are mostly carted in by the elaborate party machinery, he insists the people are with him. He has fuelled the conversations about him further by proclaiming that he is the natural choice to be the successor of Patnaik's values.

Incessantly giving TV interviews while on the campaign trail just as big leaders do, Pandian clearly sees himself as an asset. But opponents view him more as Patnaik's Achilles Heel. As one Congressman puts it: “Pandian today is what Sanjay Gandhi was yesterday. The more Sanjay campaigned in the 1970s, the more Congress lost votes. It would be the same with Pandian too.”

Whether voters agree with the comparison remains to be seen.