BHUBANESWAR: Will the auspicious Kartika Purnima on Monday herald a Karthik in Odisha politics. The convening of an urgent meeting by the BJD, which will be attended by chief minister and party supremo Naveen Patnaik along with all senior leaders, ministers, office-bearers, observers and frontal student, youth and women wings, has set the political circles abuzz.
While the party is tightlipped over the purpose of the meeting and has only given away that an important matter will be decided, will 5T and Nabin Odisha chairman V Karthikeyan Pandian finally take the plunge is the question.
Pandian joining the BJD was being speculated in political circles here ever since he took voluntary retirement from IAS on October 23. Soon after his VRS, Pandian was appointed as chairman 5T [transformational initiatives] and Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha in the rank of a cabinet minister.
It was also stated in a notification issued by the general administration that he will work directly under the Chief Minister. Ground was being prepared for his joining BJD. Delegations from cross-sections of society, social organisations, government services outfits and various wings of the BJD met him over several days at the Naveen Niwas to congratulate him over his new role and take his guidance.
A decision has been taken to induct Pandian into the party on an auspicious day like the Kartik Purnima, sources said.A senior BJD leader said that preparations for the foundation day celebrations on December 26 will be discussed at the meeting.
The meeting may also announce when to convene the state executive of the party ahead of the elections early next year. The state executive of the BJD was held last time in December 2020 in which the organisational structure of the party was changed.