Surama Padhy Elected Unopposed as Speaker of Odisha Assembly

Senior BJP leader Surama Padhy was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly. A two-time MLA from Ranpur, Padhy is the second woman to hold this position. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other leaders greeted her after Pro-tem Speaker Rananda Pratap Swain announced her election.

Senior BJP leader Surama Padhy was on Thursday elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly.

Padhy, a two-time MLA elected from the Ranpur assembly segment in Nayagarh district, was the sole candidate for the prestigious post. She secured the position with no opposition presence as Pro-tem Speaker Rananda Pratap Swain confirmed her election during a special session of the Assembly. Surama Padhy received congratulations from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, deputy chief ministers - KV Singh Deo, Pravati Parida, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, and other House members. Notably, Padhy becomes the second woman to be appointed as the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly, following Pramila Mallick of BJD.

The BJP holds a significant majority in the 147-member Odisha Assembly with 78 MLAs.