Former IAS officer Sujata Raut Karthikeyan has officially joined forces with former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Biju Janata Dal on Thursday, where Patnaik herself announced her joining the party at the Shanka Bhawan headquarters in Bhubaneswar.
Sujatha is the wife of Patnaik’s close aide and bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian, who many in the BJD have blamed for the party’s exit from power in the state in 2024 after more than two decades of rule.
“I would like to welcome Sujata Raut to the BJD. She will join the party as a junior member. She has been an IAS officer and has held many important positions, including her last stint where she took care of many women in our state,” Patnaik said while announcing Sujata’s appointment.
He added: “I am sure that over time she will get used to her new position. She will learn to lead people, especially women.”
Some senior BJP leaders had earlier opposed her entry into the party because of her husband.
Who is Sujata Raut Karthikeyan?
Sujata Raut Karthikeyan was an IAS officer of the 2000 batch, who resigned from the civil services on 13 March 2025. She is widely credited with expanding Mission Shakti, the women empowerment program of the previous BJD government.
Her entry into active politics comes after her husband, VK Pandian, He announced his withdrawal from active politics after the defeat of the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Lok Sabha elections. While Pandian is often described as an outsider because he is a native of Tamil Nadu, Sujata is a native of Kendrapara district in Odisha.
Pandian stayed away from politics after the electoral setback, while Sujata remained in the bureaucracy before resigning about 9 months after the elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government in Odisha.
Who will lead the AKP in the upcoming assembly elections?
Amid speculation that Sujata Raut Karthikeyan might eventually take over the reins of the party, Naveen Patnaik assured that he will continue to lead the BJP in the upcoming elections.
“I would like to reiterate once again for the knowledge of the media and everyone else that of course I will lead the BJP in the next elections. I want to make it very clear,” he said.
Sujata said that she will work sincerely for the people of the state.
“I have grabbed opportunities to serve the people of Odisha for 24 years under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik. Today, I have again got the same opportunity to serve the people of Odisha under his leadership,” she told reporters after joining the party.
“I will work for the people of Odisha with sincerity and dedication, with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, party leaders and millions of BJD workers,” she added.
