Sujata Rout Karthikeyan says future of politics lies in ‘We’, a day after joining BJD
A day after joining the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), former IAS officer Sujata Rout Karthikeyan on Friday said the future of politics lies in the spirit of "we" rather than "I", emphasising collective leadership, teamwork and shared responsibility.
Sujata, a 2000-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer, entered active politics on Thursday after resigning from the civil services in March 2025. She follows the political path of her husband, former bureaucrat V K Pandian, who joined the BJD in 2023 before stepping away from active politics following the party's defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections.
In a post on social media, Sujata said the difference between "I" and "we" reflects two distinct political philosophies. She stated that while the politics of "I" focuses on personality cults, personal credit and concentration of power, the politics of "we" values teamwork, shared responsibility and public welfare.
She further said that "we" promotes unity, equal opportunities and collective progress, urging people to choose a politics that puts Odisha and its people first. Her remarks are being seen as an effort to reassure party leaders about her commitment to working collectively within the organisation.
Political observers noted that several senior BJD leaders were absent during her induction ceremony, indicating internal reservations over her entry into the party. Acknowledging these concerns, BJD president Naveen Patnaik clarified that Sujata had joined the party as an ordinary member and would not be assigned any organisational responsibility immediately.
Patnaik, however, expressed confidence that she would become a valuable member of the BJD as she familiarises herself with the party's functioning. Analysts also believe her induction could help the regional party counter criticism over V K Pandian's Tamil origin, an issue frequently raised by political opponents during the 2024 elections.
