Bhubaneswar, June 13: Former minister and six-time MLA from Bhanjanagar constituency, Bikram Keshari Arukh on Monday has been elected as the Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
Arukh has elected to the post unanimously in a special session held in State Assembly, here today. Of total 147 assembly seats, the ruling BJD has 113 members in the House and opposition parties BJP and Congress have only 22 and 9 members respectively.
As opposition members did not file nomination papers for the Speaker election, the BJD legislator was elected unopposed, becoming the 21st Speaker of Odisha Assembly.
The House was adjourned following election. Deputy Speaker Rajanikant Singh who presided over the session and announced the name of new speaker.
