The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said the name of VK Pandian, the 5T initiative chairman, has been removed from the list of officials in Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Odisha, following a complaint lodged by the BJP with the Election Commission of India.
In a press release, BJP spokesman Anil Biswal said on April 4, his party had raised objection to Pandian continuing to hold government office even after actively participating in politics. The party had also filed a complaint in the cVIGIL app in this regard.
“Taking cognisance of the objection, the Election Commission has declared continuity of Pandian in the government post as illegal since it violated the model code of conduct in force for the ensuing elections in the state. Pandian’s name has finally been removed from the CMO officials’ list on the order of the Commission,” Biswal said.
The acronym 5T stands for Teamwork, Transparency, Technology, Time, and Transformation.
The state government has introduced 5T as a governance model with an aim of improving administrative efficiency and ensuring efficient delivery of public services.
Pandian, a Tamil Nadu-born IAS officer is known for his proximity to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He is also seen in political circles as the CM’s successor. After he took voluntary retirement from his bureaucratic assignment, he was appointed at 5T mission chairperson and accorded a Cabinet minister’s rank. A few days later, he joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) as its member.
As per the Odisha state BJP unit, Pandian has been enlisted as the number one officer on the website of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). However, he is participating in all the party meetings, distributing tickets among the candidates and managing the party affairs.
The saffron party had questioned whether Pandian is a BJD leader or an officer. It had also sought clarification from the state government whether BJD leader Pandian can remain in the list of the officers when the model code of conduct for the upcoming 2024 general elections has already been announced.
The BJD has not issued any reaction to the development.
