History in the Making: Pramila Mallik Nominated for Odisha’s First Woman Speaker

History in the Making: Pramila Mallik Nominated for Odisha’s First Woman Speaker

Bhubaneswar: Pramila Mallik has submitted her nomination for the position of Speaker in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, marking a historic moment as she is poised to become Odisha’s first female Speaker. The six-time MLA, a prominent member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), stepped down from Naveen Patnaik’s cabinet to pursue this role.

Due to the BJD’s majority in the House, Mallik is expected to secure the position as the Speaker in the upcoming election scheduled for September 22, where she currently has no opposition. Following her election, she will immediately assume her duties and preside over the upcoming Monsoon Session of the House, commencing tomorrow. However, it is anticipated that she will encounter various challenges within the legislative assembly.

Mallik expressed her intentions to engage in discussions with all party leaders after an all-party meeting tomorrow and seek their cooperation in ensuring the House’s smooth functioning. Meanwhile, the responsibility of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department has been temporarily assigned to School and Mass Education Minister Sudam Marndi.