Six-time MLA Pramila Malik will be the first woman Speaker of Odisha Assembly.
Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has made Pramila Malik its candidate for the post of Assembly Speaker, making her the first woman Speaker of the state. Mallick, a six-time MLA, has held many important positions in the government. He thanked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his selection and promised to ensure fair functioning of the Assembly.
The post had become vacant after the resignation of Bikram Keshari Arukh in May this year after joining the state cabinet. BJD has a clear majority in the House with its 112 MLAs.
Six-time MLA Mallik has held several key positions in the Naveen Patnaik government.
“By nominating me as the candidate for spokesperson, the Prime Minister has shown that women are capable of doing anything. I thank CM Naveen Patnaik for trusting me and choosing me for the top post. Malik said, I will ensure that the assembly works impartially.
“This is an important post and I will try to perform my duties by bringing everyone together. CM’s thinking is to give prominence to women and he demanded 33 percent reservation for women. Five years later, the Center brought the Women’s Reservation Bill,” he said.