V.K. Pandian | Power player
At dawn, senior bureaucrats, including the Chief Secretary, in tracksuits, briskly converge at project sites to review progress and set completion targets — a distinctive routine during past years in Odisha. Insiders observe that Mr. Pandian’s sharp political acumen, in addition to his routine official works and ability to design welfare programmes, earned him the confidence of Mr. Patnaik. Mr. Pandian headed the initiative accruing higher administrative power to review projects cutting across all departments. Though Mr. Pandian never spoke of his political ambitions, the BJD and the Opposition parties knew that he was involved in formulating the party’s electoral strategies. Political observers say it is a matter of time before Mr. Pandian would openly shed his inhibition and assume a greater role in the government and the party.
Discover Related
Nadda urges Odisha BJP lawmakers to stay humble, disciplined, and grounded
Under attack, Naveen Patnaik says he will look into BJD MPs’ split voting on the Waqf Bill in the Rajya Sabha
HNSS project Deputy Collector killed, four others injured in in a road accident in Annamayya district
Odisha: BJD faces internal turmoil over Rajya Sabha vote on Waqf Bill
Centre approves VRS request of VK Pandian’s wife Sujatha Karthikeyan
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to visit Wayanad for three days starting March 27
Saurabh Bharadwaj is AAP's new Delhi convenor, Manish Sisodia gets Punjab task
Ludhiana, Rupnagar DCs among four IAS officers transferred in Punjab
District units to be focal point of party organisation: Jairam; meet on Mar 27
BJD leader demands special status for Odisha, highlights strained fiscal health
Rajasthan minister meets state's top cop, phone-tapping row resurfaces
Sikh community unites against SGPC's appointment of new Jathedars
Insider track | Buzz over Delhi L-G reassignment
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal reaches Vipassana centre
Opt for careers that align with your interest, aptitude: V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar
Pavan K. Varma | Bihar’s turn to vote next: Jan Suraajj has a fair shot
Rift in state units impedes BJP president election
Pankaj Singh takes oath as Delhi cabinet minister: 5 things to know about him
Odisha: BJP leader accuses BJD lawmakers of working under Pandian’s influence