Bhubaneswar: BJP’s Surama Padhy, a two-time MLA from Ranpur, became Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly after being unanimously elected on Thursday.
As no other nominations were filed from any other political party, Padhy was elected unopposed.
Padhy became the second woman after Pramila Mallik to hold the Speaker post in the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
Pandhy filed nomination for the coveted post of Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Wednesday in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy CMs K V Singhdeo, Pravati Parida and other BJP MLAs.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had reportedly talked to BJD president Naveen Patnaik and sought his support for her candidature.
BJD leader Pramila scripted history by becoming the first woman speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly in September 2023.
Padhy was first elected to the Odisha Assembly from Ranpur seat in Nayagarh district on a BJP ticket in 2004. She has also served as a minister of state in the BJD-BJP coalition government in Odisha from 2004 to 2009.
This time, the BJP has formed the government of its own in Odisha after the saffron party won 78 seats in the 147 members in Odisha Assembly.
