Pramila Mallik files nomination, set to be first woman Speaker of Odisha Assembly

By B.Maharana

Bhubaneswar, September 21

Senior Ruling Biju Janta Dal (BJD) leader on Thursday filed her nomination for the Odisha Assembly Speaker.

Mrs.Mallik  resigned from the Naveen Patnaik’s Cabinet  earlier today . Pramila Mallik was currently serving as State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister.

Since there is none to contest against her, Pramila Mallik is going to be elected as the first Woman Speaker of Odisha Legislative .Assembly.

After filing nomination, Mrs.Mallik , who comes from a poor scheduled Caste family, expressed  gratitude to Chief  Minister Naveen Patnaik for the decision to nominate her as party candidate for the post of  Assembly Speaker.

“I thank CM. He is doing a lot for women’s empowerment, I am happy, ” said Pramila Mallik.

The election for the post of Odisha Assembly Speaker will be held on September 22, the first day of the monsoon session . .

Pramila Mallik is a six-time MLA from the Binjharpur Assembly Constituency in Jajpur district, first elected in the year 1990 on the Janata Dal ticket.

In the year 2000, she was elected from the Biju Janata Dal. She has also held different portfolios as Cabinet Minister in Naveen Patnaik’s Cabinet and Chief whip of the party in the state assembly.

The post has been laying vacant after former speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha was appointed Finance Minister during the last reshuffle of the cabinet by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

After the cabinet led by CM Patnaik was reshuffled earlier this year, former Odisha Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha was among three new ministers who were sworn into the Odisha cabinet.