Bhubaneswar: In a significant political development, Ranpur MLA Surama Padhy has filed her nomination for the prestigious position of Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. The nomination was officially submitted on Wednesday.
According to sources, Padhy filed her nomination in the presence of key political figures including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Ministers K V Singhdeo and Pravati Parida, along with other BJP MLAs. The assembly saw a gathering of BJP legislators who convened a meeting earlier in the day. During this meeting, Padhy was unanimously selected as the party’s candidate for the Speaker’s post.
The election for the Speaker is scheduled to take place tomorrow, immediately following the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected members of the House. This election holds particular significance as it will determine the leadership and procedural oversight within the assembly for the upcoming term.
If elected, Surama Padhy will make history as the second woman to ever hold the Speaker position in the Odisha Legislative Assembly. The first woman to achieve this milestone was Pramila Mallik. Padhy’s potential election is seen as a progressive step towards increasing female representation in the state’s political arena.