New Delhi: Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, former IAS officer and wife of V. Karthikeyan Pandian, a close aide of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik, joined the party on Thursday (June 25). Meanwhile, Patnaik reiterated that he will remain at the helm of affairs in the BJD as the question of his succession has resurfaced post Sujata’s induction.“Today, I begin a new chapter of public service by joining the Biju Janata Dal under the leadership of Naveen Patnaikji. Public service remains my mission. I look forward to working with the people of Odisha and BJD. Jai Jagannath,” Sujata wrote in a post on X after joining the party in the present of Patnaik and other senior leaders at Sankha Bhawan, the BJD’s state headquarters.Today, I begin a new chapter of public service by joining the Biju Janata Dal under the leadership of @Naveen_Odisha Ji.Public service remains my mission. I look forward to working with the people of Odisha and @bjd_odishaJai Jagannath 🙏 #Odisha #BJD pic.twitter.com/KRSpGqp6dc— Sujata R Karthikeyan (@sujatarout_k) June 25, 2026At the induction event, Patnaik underlined that Sujata would join as a “simple member” and dismissed rumours of a change in leadership in the party.“I would like to welcome Sujata Rout to BJD. She will be joining as a simple member of the party. There will be no post given to her as of now. Let her acclimatise herself to the party and party work. She has been an IAS officer and held several important positions including the last position which was to look after many many women in our state. I am sure as times pass and she gets used to her new position, she will learn to help people particularly women,” he said.Patnaik added, “I would like to repeat again, to clarify to the media and all other people, that of course I will be leading BJD in the next elections. I want to make that very clear.”Sujata mentioned that she was blessed to get an opportunity to work under Patnaik’s leadership again after “working under him and serving the people of Odisha for the last 24 years”.Sujata, a 2000-batch Odisha-cadre IAS officer, had taken voluntary retirement in 2025. She hails from Kendrapara district in Odisha and has served as the district collector of Sundargarh and Cuttack. Her work related to Mission Shakti, the state’s flagship women-centric SHG programme, is very widely acclaimed.BJD leaders welcomed Sujata in the party. Although her role isn’t clear yet, many suggested that her entry will boost the cadre ahead of the local body polls in the state.“Her induction will galvanise the party rank and file in the panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) polls expected to be held in March/April next year, ” party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said.In a post on X, BJD general secretary Deepali Das stated that Sujata’s work as as a skilled administrative officer were “commendable” and hoped that she will “continue her service mindset for public welfare” in political life as well.“Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Sujata Raut, who has formally joined the Biju Janata Dal, inspired by the ideals and public service vision of the party’s president, Naveen Patnaik. Just as her experience, integrity, and efficiency as a skilled administrative officer were commendable in public service, we hope and believe that in her political life as well, she will continue her service mindset for public welfare and the state’s development while further strengthening the Biju Janata Dal,” Das wrote.Similarly, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra also pointed out that Sujata played a pivotal role in leading the Mission Shakti initiative.“Delighted to welcome Sujata Rout, who played a pivotal role in leading Odisha’s Mission Shakti initiative, to Biju Janata Dal Odisha. Her vast experience and commitment to public service will further strengthen the BJD and our party president Naveen Patnaik’s vision for a stronger, more inclusive and transformed Odisha,” he wrote.Sujata’s husband Pandian, a former Odisha cadre IAS officer, was an extremely influential figure in the later years when Patnaik was the chief minister of Odisha. Widely seen as the BJD chief’s political heir, Pandian had joined the party in 2023 and exited soon after facing backlash post the 2024 assembly elections defeat.What didn’t work in Pandian’s favour was the fact that he was Tamil born and was not widely accepted in the party and among the public as well. As Sujata is from Odisha, the rumours related to Patnaik’s succession plan have resurfaced though he has attempted to shut any such talks.