Former IAS officer Sujata Rout Karthikeyan on Thursday joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the presence of party president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar.
Sujata Rout Karthikeyan is a 2000-batch IAS officer and the wife of VK Pandian, also a former IAS officer and a close aide of Naveen Patnaik.
Welcoming her into the party, the BJD said, “Mission Shakti joins BJD."
Addressing the gathering, Naveen Patnaik said, “I would like to welcome Sujata Rout Karthikeyan to the BJD. She has been an IAS officer and has held several important positions during her career. I am sure that as time passes and she gets accustomed to her new role, she will continue to work for people, particularly women. I will be leading the BJD in the next elections, and I want to make that very clear."
Sujata Rout Karthikeyan said that joining the BJD gives her an opportunity to work under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik. She added that she would work for the people and the state with complete dedication.
