Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik declares Pradeep Amat as candidate Assembly Speaker

11 May, Bhubaneswar

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik Thursday announced that former Finance Minister Pradip Amat will be the candidate for State Assembly Speaker.

Election for the Speaker of State Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held on May 16. The post has been vacant after Niranjan Pujari had tendered his resignation as the Assembly Speaker on May 5.

Amat, who had served as Speaker in Odisha Assembly during the 2009-14 was the Finance Minister in the present Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government till his resignation from the post on May 6.

The BJD president also announced the name of the party candidate for Rajya Sabha by-poll. Party spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb will be the party candidate for the lone Rajya Sabha seat by-poll to be held on May 25.

The Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant after Bishnu Charan Das of BJD resigned from the Upper House following his appointment as deputy chairman of the Odisha State Planning Board.