Odisha has just witnessed its biggest political turmoil as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trumped the ruling Biju Janata Dal led by Naveen Patnaik. One of the reasons for the BJD's loss is said to be the retired IAS VK Pandian who took centre stage during the poll campaigning. Pandian has been the right hand of Patnaik since last year when he took voluntary retirement to join the government and was given the rank of a cabinet minister. Now, four days after the results were announced, VK Pandian's wife Sujata R Karthikeyan, who has been serving as Special Secretary to the Finance Department of the Odisha Government, has gone on six months' leave.
In an order issued on June 5, General Administration and Public Grievance Department of the Odisha Government said, "Sujata R Karthikeyan, IAS (RR-2000), special secretary to Government, Finance Department is granted Child Care Leave for a period of six months i.e. 180 days w.e.f 31.05.2024 to 26.11.2024 to take care of her minor daughter appearing her 10th exam as per Rule 18-D of AIS (Leave) Rules, 1955."
Earlier in May, the Election Commission had ordered the transfer of Karthikeyan from the post of secretary to the Mission Shakti department in Odisha. The ECI's order came when the Model Code of Conduct was in force for the Lok Sabha polls 2024.
Who Is Sujata R Karthikeyan?
Sujata is a native of Baluria village in the Pattamundei block of Odisha's Kendrapara district. Coming from a lower-middle-class family, she completed her Master's degree in international politics. She married V K Pandian, a Tamil Nadu native and her batchmate from the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. They have two children together. Although Pandian was originally assigned to the Punjab cadre, his marriage to Sujata allowed him to transfer to the Odisha cadre.
The general administration department's website lists her home district as Jamshedpur, where her father works as a doctor. In her early career as an IAS officer, Sujata served as the collector for Cuttack and Sundargarh districts.
Odisha Assembly Election Results 2024
In the recently concluded Odisha assembly elections, the BJP ended Naveen Patnaik and BJD's 24-year-long rule. In the 147-member assembly, the BJP won 78 seats while the BJD got 51 and Congress 14 assembly seats. Teh majority mark is 74.
