I’m natural successor to Naveen ‘legacy’: Pandian

BHUBANESWAR: Unfazed by the ‘outsider’ barb of his opponents, Naveen Patnaik’s closest associate VK Pandian has said he is a “natural successor” to all the great values of the Odisha chief minister and he will do everything under the sun to help his ‘guru’ serve the people of the State.

In a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, Pandian also said it is the ruling party at the Centre that has done nothing for the ‘Odiya Asmita’ or for promoting the language, art and culture of the state despite repeated pleas by the chief minister.

In a video interview to a news agency, the 49-year-old former IAS officer who last served as private secretary to the chief minister before quitting the service to join the party last year, said, “I call Naveen Babu guru and I’m his shishya (disciple).”

Pandian said he is just a foot soldier and not even an office-bearer of Biju Janata Dal, but a big fan of Patnaik.

“I do everything under the sun to see that Naveen Babu comes out with flying colours and continues to serve the people of Odisha in the best possible way and with all the big dreams he has for Odisha,” Pandian said.

Asked about being seen as a natural successor to 77-year-old Patnaik, who has been Odisha’s chief minister for five terms and is seeking his sixth term in the ongoing polls, Pandian said, “I’m a natural successor to all the great values he possesses, whether it’s his impeccable integrity, his commitment to people of Odisha, his hard work, punctuality,

I’m a natural successor to all the great values he possesses, whether it’s his impeccable integrity, his commitment to people of Odisha, his hard work, punctuality, sincerity, everything

— VK Pandian, Odisha CM’s Man Friday

sincerity, everything. On the BJP’s charge of he being an outsider in Odisha, Pandian said, “BJP calls me an outsider for their own political reasons, people of Odisha don’t say that. “

Pandian was born in Tamil Nadu, studied in Delhi and started his career as a Punjab cadre IAS officer, but shifted to Odisha cadre after marrying an Odiya.