Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), June 20: Surama Padhy, a two-time BJP MLA representing Ranpur, has been elected as the Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Thursday, becoming only the second woman to hold this prestigious position after Pramila Mallick.
Padhy filed her nomination for the speakership on Wednesday and was elected unopposed, as no other political party nominated a candidate against her. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi secured support from BJD president Naveen Patnaik for her candidacy. “No other party has nominated anyone else. Naveen has confirmed his party’s backing for Surama,” stated Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling.
With 78 BJP MLAs and the backing of three Independents, BJP holds a significant majority in the Assembly. The BJD, with 51 seats, and the Congress, with 14, together do not have enough numbers to ensure victory for an opposition candidate.
Padhy’s recent electoral success came after three consecutive defeats, securing victory in the Ranpur Assembly seat by defeating Biju Janata Dal’s Satyanarayan Pradhan with a margin of 15,544 votes. The 63-year-old previously won the seat in 2004 and served as the Cooperation Minister in the BJP-BJD alliance government led by Naveen Patnaik. She also held leadership positions in the BJP Mahila Morcha, serving as the national president from 2000 to 2002 and the state unit chief from 1998 to 2000.
A native of Ranpur, Padhy completed her Master of Arts degree in 1982 from the erstwhile Ravenshaw College.
