Bhubaneswar, June 10: Former Odisha minister Bikram Keshari Arukha who was dropped from the cabinet in the recently concluded reshuffle of the council of ministers, on Friday filed his nomination for election to Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly.
The election for the Speaker post, scheduled to be held on June 13, was necessitated after the resignation of S N Patro, a day before the reshuffle of the cabinet on health grounds
Considering the strength of the ruling BJD which has 114 members in the 147 member state Assembly, it is a foregone conclusion that Aarukh will be the next Assembly speaker and likely to be elected to the post unopposed.
Soon after filing his nomination for the Speaker post, Aarukh told the waiting newsmen in the Assembly premises he was thankful to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who had proposed his name for the post of Speaker.
Aarukh said he would put his best efforts to maintain the tradition and dignity of the house and sought the cooperation of all members of the Assembly for the smooth running of the business of the house.
Arukha, a strong and prominent political leader from south Odisha has been a member of Assembly for the last 27 years and held several key portfolios in the Naveen Patnaik government in the past.
