Bhubaneswar
BJD leader and G. Udayagiri MLA, Saluga Pradhan, submitted his nomination for the position of Deputy Speaker of the Odisha Assembly on Monday. With the BJD holding a clear majority in the Assembly, Pradhan is poised to become the next Deputy Speaker. Expressing gratitude to Chief Minister and Party Supremo Naveen Patnaik for considering him eligible for the Deputy Speaker’s post, Pradhan emphasized his commitment to ensuring the smooth functioning of the House by incorporating the opinions of both ruling and opposition parties. Dismissing speculations about his selection being an act of damage control for recent controversies, Pradhan, a tribal leader, has been elected twice as the MLA from G. Udayagiri constituency. The election for the Deputy Speaker’s post is scheduled for the first day of the Winter Session of the Assembly on Tuesday. The session will continue until December 30, with 30 business days. The Deputy Speaker position had been vacant since the resignation of Rajani Kant Singh on November 8, who stepped down to focus on party activities in Angul in preparation for the upcoming general elections next year.
