BJP Alleges BJD Misusing Pandian’s Wife’s Position for Electoral Gains, Seeks EC Action

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday filed a petition with the Election Commission, urging the removal of Odisha senior bureaucrat Sujata Karthikeyan from her position as the commissioner-secretary of Mission Shakti. The party alleges that Sujata, who is married to BJD leader VK Pandian, is misusing her authority for electoral gains for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

The BJP contends that Sujata’s association with Pandian, a close aide to Patnaik, poses a conflict of interest, with fears of undue influence on the electoral process.

The BJP delegation, including Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Rajeev Chandrashekhar, raised concerns over Pandian’s significant influence within the state administration.

They argue that Sujata’s role in Mission Shakti could be leveraged to sway voters in favour of the ruling BJD.

Pandian, after retiring from the IAS in November 2023, joined the BJD and was appointed as the chairman of the state’s 5T transformational initiatives.

The BJP accused Sujata of disregarding professionalism by aligning herself with the BJD’s interests, despite her official duties. They allege that the Department of Mission Shakti, under her supervision, is being exploited to influence voters through various means, including the coercion of women’s self-help groups.