Sujata R Karthikeyan, a senior IAS officer of the 2000 Odisha cadre and wife of BJD leader V K Pandian, has applied for voluntary retirement from government service, official sources confirmed Saturday.

Currently the special secretary in Odisha’s finance department, Karthikeyan cited personal reasons for her exit, marking a significant turn in her career amid a turbulent political backdrop.

Her husband, V K Pandian, a former IAS officer himself, took voluntary retirement in October 2023 to join the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by Naveen Patnaik, only to step back from active politics after the party’s crushing defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

Karthikeyan’s move follows a rocky year—she faced scrutiny during the polls, prompting the Election Commission to shift her from the Mission Shakti Department to a non-public role in May 2024 over alleged misuse of office.

Post-election, she took a six-month leave until November 26, 2024, but the new BJP state government denied her extension request. Her retirement bid, echoing Pandian’s, comes as the couple navigates the fallout of BJD’s loss.

The state government has yet to comment on her application, leaving observers watching how this high-profile exit reshapes Odisha’s bureaucratic and political landscape.