Former IAS officer Sujata Rout Karthikeyan joins Biju Janata Dal

Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, a former IAS officer and a close aide of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik, joined the regional party on Thursday, marking her entry into politics after a long bureaucratic career.

Ms. Karthikeyan joined the BJD in the presence of former Odisha Chief Minister and party president Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar.

Mr. Patnaik on Thursday (June 25, 2026) asserted that he would lead the regional party in the next elections, putting to rest speculation about a possible change in leadership. He also said that Ms. Rout would function as a “simple party member”.

Ms. Karthikeyan, a 2000-batch Odisha-cadre IAS officer, took voluntary retirement in 2025 after the BJD’s defeat in the 2024 elections. Her husband, V.K. Pandian, also a 2000-batch IAS officer, joined the BJD in November 2023 but stepped down from active politics in June 2024 after the party’s electoral losses.

(With ANI inputs)