Senior BJP leader and Ranpur MLA Surama Padhy was unanimously elected as the Speaker of 17th Odisha’s Legislative Assembly on Thursday. At the proceedings of a special session, pro-tem Speaker R P Swain handed over the charge of the Odisha Assembly to Padhy. 

Padhy is a two-term MLA from the Ranpur seat in Nayagarh district. She has now become the second woman to sit on the chair of the Odisha Assembly’s Speaker. The first woman to have been Odisha Assembly Speaker was Pramila Mallick of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD.

Padhy’s election comes after the BJP took charge of the Odisha government for the first time ever earlier this month. The assembly, led by four-time Keonjhar MLA and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his deputies KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, welcomed the new Speaker.

CM Majhi said: “Congratulations to Surama Padhy, Ranpur community leader, for being unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly today. I strongly believe that he will protect the pride, dignity and honour of this House and manage it properly by adopting an impartial policy.”

Surama Padhy said she was grateful to the members of the House for electing her as its Speaker. “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 was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Naveen Patnaik, who lost an election for the first time, was earlier elected to be the Leader of Opposition in Odisha. Congratulating Padhy, Patnaik said: “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.”