BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide and chairman of 5T and Nabin Odisha VK Pandian on Friday announced he will not contest the 2024 elections.Addressing the extended executive meeting of BJD here, Pandian said the regional outfit will field candidates in all 147 Assembly constituencies under the leadership of the chief minister. He said this means the chief minister will represent all the 147 seats. “I will be behind the chief minister, helping him in all the 147 seats. I have no desire for any position,” he added.
Pandian said he has received two blessings in his life. One is the service of Lord Jagannath and the other, chance to work with the chief minister. “I have surrendered my future to Lord Jagannath and the chief minister,” he said adding, the latter has been his inspiration.
The 5T chairman said there have been speculations about his future course of action after he took voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service. “There are speculations whether I will contest the elections and post I will be given in the BJD but I have no desire for any position,” he said adding, there were proposals from different Assembly constituencies for him to contest the next elections.
Pandian said he will work towards taking Odisha to the pinnacle of development and be with the chief minister in all the Assembly constituencies. “I have worked for Odisha and for the chief minister. I never had the opportunity to work for 10 lakh workers of the party,” he said adding, he has received that opportunity now. “I promise to take Odisha further on the path of transformational development,” the 5T chairman said.
The decision of Pandian not contesting next elections was also announced by senior vice-president of the party Debi Prasad Mishra. The 5T chairman said he will not contest elections, but continue to work for the party to further strengthen it, Mishra told mediapersons after the meeting.
Mishra also informed that as a part of the preparation for the upcoming elections, the BJD has decided to organise panchayat-level meetings after the celebration of the party’s foundation day on December 26.
A campaign will be launched at the grassroots level from Netaji Jayanti (January 23) up till Biju Jayanti (March 5) to highlight the achievements of the BJD government and its development agenda being implemented in the state.
