Future of politics lies in 'we', not 'I': Pandian wife Sujata after joining BJD

BHUVANESHWAR: A day after joining the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, a former IAS officer and wife of ex-bureaucrat V K Pandian, on Friday said the future of politics lies in "we" and not "I", stressing the importance of teamwork and shared responsibility.

A 2000-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, Sujata joined active politics on Thursday over a year after she resigned from the All India Services on March 13, 2025. She followed the path of her husband, who had resigned from the civil service in October 2023 and joined the BJD the following month.

Pandian, a close aide of former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, however, withdrew from active politics on June 9, 2024, after the BJD's defeat in the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections that year.

While stepping away from politics, Pandian had said, "I will always keep Odisha in the core of my heart and my Guru Naveen Babu in my breath and pray to Lord Jagannath for their well-being and prosperity."

In a social media post on Friday, Sujata, whom Patnaik described as a "simple member" while inducting her into the party, outlined her political philosophy.

"The difference between 'I' and 'we' is not just a word, it's a philosophy of politics. 'I' builds personality cults, seeks personal credit, and concentrates power. 'We' values teamwork, shares responsibility, and puts people before politics. The future belongs to the politics of 'we', not the politics of 'I'," she said.

She added that "'we' and 'I' are two words, two paths, and the choice defines our politics. The politics of 'I' divides, while the politics of 'we' unites. A better future is built together. Let's choose 'we'. Let's choose Odisha".

Sujata further said that while "I" speaks of personal ambition, seeks credit for success and builds power for a few, "we" stands for shared responsibility, shared credit and opportunities for all.

Political observers said her choice of words appeared to be aimed at reassuring party leaders who had opposed her entry into the regional outfit, signalling her intent to work collectively and share responsibilities.

Though Sujata received a warm welcome at the BJD headquarters, Sankha Bhawan, on Thursday, several senior leaders who had earlier directly or indirectly opposed her induction were absent from the event.

Among those absent were former minister Badri Narayan Patra, BJD deputy leader in the Assembly Prasanna Acharya, eight-time MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain and senior leader Pranab Prakash Das, popularly known as Bobby, considered a close associate of Pandian.

Apparently sensing the mood within the party, Patnaik said during her induction that Sujata was joining as an ordinary member and would not be given any organisational responsibility immediately.

"She joins the party as a simple member. There will be no post for her as yet. Let her acclimatise herself to the party and its work," Patnaik said.

He, however, expressed confidence that she would prove to be a valuable member of the BJD as she settled into the organisation.

Political observers also believe that Sujata's induction could help the BJD counter criticism over Pandian's Tamil origin, an issue repeatedly raised by opponents during the 2024 elections. A native of Odisha's Kendrapara district, Sujata hails from the region regarded as the "Karma Bhoomi" of Biju Patnaik, after whom the BJD is named.