V Karthikeyan Pandian: Another Chanakya in Odisha politics? The jury is out

Pandian, who belongs to the 2000 batch, changed his cadre from Punjab to Odisha after marrying Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, who hails from Kendrapara and is now the Mission Shakti secretary

Women queuing up with flowers and bouquets, the blowing of the conch, and traditional drum beats — such a warm welcome for an officer in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) has of late been a common sight in Odisha. During his visits to Nabarangpur and Kendrapara districts, self-help group (SHG) members washed his feet, adorned his head with a tilak, and treated him to lunch at a Mission Shakti centre.

“We are lucky to have (V Karthikeyan) Pandian sir here. We ensured he received the treatment he deserved as a son-in-law,” an SHG member told a local news channel.
 

Pandian, who