Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is just three months away from becoming the longest serving chief minister in India's history. Now 78, Patnaik has been Odisha's chief minister since 2000.
But to break this record, Patnaik would need to win the ongoing Assembly elections in Odisha. And the man leading Patnaik's campaign is former bureaucrat V Karthikeyan Pandian.
Pandian is one of the most fascinating figures in Indian politics. Originally from Tamil Nadu, the 50-year-old former IAS officer is Patnaik's closest aide whose influence in the state is second only to the CM.
However, Pandian took a major decision last year, by quitting the bureaucracy and joining Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal. Since then, he has been at the receiving end of attacks from the Opposition BJP and Congress in Odisha. The BJP has gone to the extent of saying that if BJD wins the elections, Pandian and not Patnaik will be the chief minister, in what seems to be an attempt to create fears of an "outsider CM" in the state.
Why did Pandian take the plunge to join politics?
What explains his close bond with Patnaik?
How does Pandian see the BJD's relationship with the BJP? Why did a BJD-BJP alliance not materialise?
He answers these questions in a detailed conversation with The Quint.
"Super CM" or "Disciple"? Why VK Pandian Matters to Naveen Patnaik
No less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi has referred to Pandian as Odisha's "super CM". The media calls him Patnaik's "political heir".
But the former bureaucrat declines these labels. When we asked what he thought of the media calling him CM Patnaik's "right hand", Pandian jokes, "But the honourable CM is left-handed".
Pandian likes to describe himself as Naveen Patnaik's "workhorse" and sees the CM as his "Guru".
"We are bound by work," Pandian says, without any hesitation.
Pandian caught Patnaik's attention during one of his initial postings in Kalahandi where he went after rice-mill owners allegedly cheating the people. Some BJD leaders from the district are said to have request Patnaik to transfer Pandian.
"But the CM told them. We don't transfer honest officers in this state," Pandian recalls.
"The more I saw how he worked, my respect for him transformed into love for him," he adds.
On being asked why he quit the IAS and joined the BJD, Pandian said, "The love and affection of people I got when I met people as part of CMO, made me feel that I shouldn't be bound by the rules of the bureaucracy. This is what the honourable CM also felt".
"If my father or grandfather was working so hard for the people, I wouldn't be sitting as an IAS officer, I would be helping him. I share such an emotional bond with Naveen babu," Pandian added.
24 Years and Counting, What Explains Naveen Patnaik's Longevity as CM?
"He's not in politics for power or to win elections, he is here to serve people. People understand this. When people make this differentiation, there is pro-incumbency not anti-incumbency," Pandian says.
A key moment for both Patnaik and Pandian was the 2012 rebellion led by Pyarimohan Mohapatra, a former top bureaucrat and a close aide of Patnaik's father Biju Patnaik.
Pandian, then posted in the CMO, is said to have played a key role in quelling the rebellion.
"It is very unfortunate that somebody dared to do that. People, especially, women voters are very protective of him. He swept the 2014 elections like never before (two years after the rebellion)," Pandian recalled.
'BJD Cannot Be Broken'
On being asked if there are attempts to split the BJD, like regional parties were split in Maharashtra, Pandian said, "Jokers are there in every party. Sometimes Opposition also behaves like jokers. Nothing will work against Naveen Babu," Pandian told The Quint.
"No one can break the BJD. It is a party of one crore members. Nothing can break BJD. BJD will break everyone else," he stressed.
BJP vs Congress
According to Pandian, "Congress was brought down by the weight of its own corruption, lack of service delivery and handling of the 1999 super cyclone. After that they could never get back".
However he adds that he wasn't in a very active role when the BJD was fighting the Congress.
Regarding the BJP, he said, "I really hope they maintain a dignified political discourse which is the hallmark of Naveen Babu. It will reflect India's values better. If you stoop very low, you are not doing service to future generations. Civility, grace, maturity in political discourse are the strength of India".
Though not allies, the BJD has enjoyed a good relationship with the BJD at the Centre. They have supported every major policy legislation by the Modi government except the farm laws. The BJD also supported Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's nomination.
We asked VK Pandian whether it hurt him when PM Narendra Modi made personal remarks against CM Naveen Patnaik.
"The CM is a saint. It doesn't affect him. But it has hurt the people of Odisha," he said.
"I wasn't surprised with these remarks. This is their brand of politics."VK Pandian on PM Modi's remarks against Naveen Patnaik
On being asked why an alliance between the BJD and BJP didn't materialise, he said, "It was not an alliance per se but a discussion between two leaders. The idea was to set an example for the nation that rivals can come together for a larger cause. But (it didn't work out because) people wanted to play politics," Pandian told The Quint.
According to Pandian, CM Patnaik will let BJP leaders like Dharmendra Pradhan get elected unopposed if it is in the interest of Odisha.
Will VK Pandian Succeed Naveen Patnaik as CM?
BJP MP from Bhubaneswar Aparajita Sarangi has alleged that if the BJD comes back to power VK Pandian and not Naveen Patnaik will be CM. The media, too, on its part has been labelling Pandian as a successor or heir to CM Patnaik.
We asked the former bureaucrat to respond to this. This is what he said:
"I am humbly requesting them (BJP). They are a national party, the world's largest party. They say there is anti-incumbency against Naveen Babu and that he isn't active. If that is the case, why don't you declare a CM face? You have so many CM candidates, put up a face against Naveen babu if you have the guts".
On being asked if he desired to be CM Patnaik's successor, Pandian said, "It is not designed that way. Naveen Babu entered politics not because Biju babu designed something for him. It was decided by the people of Odisha. Naveen babu has always maintained that his successor will be decided by the people of Odisha".
We asked him if he sees CM Patnaik as a possible PM, Pandian said, "Why just PM, he can be a global leader. But his main priority is Odisha".
How is BJD's Celebration of Lord Jagannath Different from Hindutva?
The Shree Jagannath heritage corridor was inaugurated in Puri roughly around the same time as the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya. But it didn't receive the same kind of hype outside Odisha.
We asked VK Pandian if the BJD's celebration of Lord Jagannath is different from Hindutva.
"This is God's work. Not a leaf moves without 'His' will. I or Naveen babu would be making a mistake if we try to take credit for it. We are blessed that it happened during our time," Pandian said.
"This is Lord's work. If you have ego that 'I have done this', then you will have to take hundred births after this," he stressed.
On being asked why their promotion of Lord Jagannath doesn't take the path of Hindutva, Pandian said, "CM honours the faith of people, whatever religion they may belong to. CM has restored not just temples, but mosques, churches, gurdwaras, tribal places of worship. The idea is, if you have faith on something and I have access to funds, I will honour your faith".
"Only weak people play politics over religion, caste or region," Pandian stressed.
This interview was shot before the controversy around BJP leader Sambit Patra's remarks around Lord Jagannath. Responding to the remarks, VK Pandian has said, "The Lord should be kept above politics".
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