After ECI Intervention Sujata Karthikeyan IAS Shunted Out of Mission Shakti Dept

Hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered for shifting of Odisha Mission Shakti secretary Sujata Pandian to a “non-people” department, the state government on Friday transferred her to the finance department as special secretary.

The ECI order to transfer came late on Thursday night following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s allegations of misuse of public office.

The ECI had Thursday night asked the state government for transfer of Sujata Pandian who is the wife of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s most trusted aide V Karthikeyan Pandian.

The BJP alleged in its complaint that Sujata is working like an agent of BJD. Besides, she is intimidating members of women self-help-groups (SHGs) to cast their votes for the BJD. “She is also using the Mission Shakti department to persuade around 70 lakh women voters,” the party alleged.

The saffron party, in the complaint, had demanded that the official be relieved from the post of secretary and not be assigned any public dealing till the conclusion of the parliamentary and assembly elections in Odisha.

“Women empowerment is not the real motive of the BJD. Rather, it uses women SHGs for its own during election time. There is evidence that Sujata Pandian has been threatening SHGs to work for the BJD and not to vote for the BJP. It has been proved that BJD wants to use SHGs for its own gain,” said BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal.