V K Pandian announces exit from active politics after BJD’s loss

V K Pandian did excellent work as an officer; people of Odisha will decide my successor: Naveen PatnaikFormer Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said BJD leader V K Pandian did excellent work as an officer and for BJD after joining the party.Patnaik described the former bureaucrat as a person of integrity and honesty.“As an officer he did excellent work in many field in last ten years, helping with the two cyclones and with the Covid epidemic in our state. After this work he retired from bureaucracy and joined my party, contributed largely to it by doing excellent work. He is a person of integrity and honesty and should be remembered for all that,” Patnaik said.“Pandian joined the party, has not held any post. As you know he did not fight this election from any constituency. When they ask me for my successor I have always said it is not Mr Pandian and people of Odisha will decide my successor,” Patnaik added.BJP stormed to power in Odisha, ending the 24-year rule of the BJD, by winning 78 seats in the 147-member assembly. The Patnaik-led party, on the other hand, bagged 51 seats, while the Congress won 14 constituencies and the CPI (M) one. Three Independent nominees also emerged victorious.