Bhubaneswar: June 13: Former minister and six-time MLA from Bhanjanagar constituency, Bikram Keshari Arukha has been elected as the new Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. After the verbal vote, Deputy Speaker Rajnikanth Singh announced Mr. Arukh as the Speaker.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik proposed Bikram Keshari Arukha’s name. The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs supported the proposal. The announcement was made at a special session of the Legislative Assembly on Monday. Bikram Keshari Arukha has since taken over as the new Speaker. The House began at 10:30 a.m. and adjourned after the election to the post of Speaker.
Notably, former Speaker Surya Narayan Patra resigned from the post on the 4th of July citing his health reasons. Further BJD announced the name of Bikram Keshari Arukha as its Speaker candidate. Mr. Arukha filed his nomination papers on the 10th of July. Since no one else had filed the nomination, he got elected unopposed. At the end of the session, Mr. Arukha was formally announced as Speaker.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated the new Speaker Bikram Keshari Arusha. Also, Leader of the Opposition Mohan Majhi and Sr. Congress Leader Narasingha Mishra congratulated him.
