Bhubaneswar: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Surama Padhy was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly today, June 20. Padhy, a two-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Ranpur assembly segment in Nayagarh district, was the sole candidate for the post.

The motion to elect Padhy as the Speaker for the 17th Assembly session was proposed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and seconded by the state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling. Following a voice vote, pro-tem Speaker Ranendra Pratap Swain declared the 63-year-old Padhy as the second female Speaker of the Odisha Assembly.

In a special session of the Assembly, Pro-tem Speaker RP Swain formally announced Padhy’s election and handed over the charge to her. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik, and other members of the House greeted the new Speaker.

Padhy, who is the second woman to become Speaker of the Odisha Assembly after Pramila Mallick of BJD, expressed her gratitude and commitment to maintaining the dignity of the House. “I express my heartfelt gratitude to all for electing me as the Speaker of this August House. I hail from a humble family and never thought of occupying such a prestigious post and responsibility. I am overwhelmed. It is our combined responsibility to maintain the dignity of this House. Therefore, I seek your cooperation. I will do my best to maintain neutrality with the cooperation of all,” she said.

Padhy further added, “I will discharge my responsibilities impartially and uphold the dignity of the chair with the help of all the members.”

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi congratulated Padhy and called for cooperation from all members, including the opposition, to ensure the smooth functioning of the House. “After you assume the charge today, I am fully confident that you will uphold the dignity of this August House and run it properly without any bias,” Majhi said.

Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also congratulated Padhy, expressing confidence in her ability to uphold the dignity of the House. “I congratulate you (Padhy) as the speaker of the 17th Assembly. I am sure that during your tenure as Speaker, you will uphold the dignity of this August House. I also hope that the members will cooperate in the smooth functioning of the House,” Patnaik said.

Congress Legislature Party leader Taraprasad Bahinipati and CPI (M)’s lone MLA Laxman Munda also extended their congratulations to Padhy.

Surama Padhy, who filed her nomination for the Speaker’s post on June 19, won the recent election from the Ranpur Assembly segment, defeating Satyanarayan Pradhan of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) by a margin of around 15,544 votes. Padhy previously served as the Cooperation Minister in the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD-BJP alliance government from 2004 to 2009. She was also the Minister of State (Independent charges) for the Department of Co-operation, Odisha during the same period.

The ruling BJP holds 78 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly and Padhy’s unopposed election marks a significant moment in the state’s political landscape.