Naveen’s close aide Pandian joins BJD

Bhubaneswar: In a significant political development in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's close aide and former IAS officer V Karthikeyan Pandian on Monday formally joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Following his induction into the party, Naveen said, “I welcome Pandian to Biju Janata Dal. As you know he has been working very hard for the people of our State for several years and will continue to do so as a member of the party.”

Pandian said, ''With the blessings of Lord Jagannath and under the guidance of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, I will work for the party and the people of Odisha with full sincerity and dedication.''

Before joining the party, Pandian visited Puri and had a ‘darshan’ of Lord Jagannath in the morning.

Pandian, a 2000-batch IAS officer who sparked several controversies regarding violation of service rule, had taken voluntary retirement from government service on October 23.