Odisha’s outgoing chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide and senior BJD leader V K Pandian on Sunday announced his withdrawal from active politics in wake of the regional party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

In a video message, bureaucrat-turned-politician said, “Now I consciously decide to withdraw myself from active politics. I am sorry if I have hurt anyone in this journey. I am sorry if this campaign narrative against me has had a part to play the Biju Janata Dal’s loss. My apologies to the entire Biju Parivaar including all the ‘karmis’ for this.”