Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Surama Padhy was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly on Thursday.

Padhy, a two-time MLA representing the Ranpur assembly segment in Nayagarh district, was the sole candidate for the position. Her unopposed election was confirmed by pro-tem Speaker R P Swain, who announced the result and handed over the charge to Padhy during a special session of the Assembly.

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Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, and other members of the House congratulated the new Speaker. Padhy is the second woman to hold the position of Speaker in the Odisha Assembly, following Pramila Mallick of BJD.

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to all for electing me as the Speaker of this August House. I hail from a humble family and never thought of occupying such a prestigious post and responsibility. I am overwhelmed. It is our combined responsibility to maintain the dignity of this House. Therefore, I seek your cooperation. I will do my best to maintain neutrality with the cooperation of all,” Padhy said in her acceptance speech.

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The chief minister congratulated the new Speaker and sought the cooperation of all members, including those in opposition, for the smooth functioning of the House.

The newly elected Speaker was congratulated by the Chief Minister and Ppposition leaders Naveen Patnaik, Taraprasad Bahinipati, and Laxman Munda, who expressed confidence that she would uphold the dignity of the Assembly and hoped for cooperation from all members to ensure smooth functioning of the House.

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“I congratulate you (Padhy) as the Speaker of the 17th Assembly. I am sure that during your tenure as Speaker, you will uphold the dignity of this August House. I also hope that the members will cooperate in the smooth functioning of the House,” Patnaik said.

Padhy, 63, won the Ranpur assembly seat by defeating Satyanarayan Pradhan by a margin of 15,544 votes. This is not her first stint in office, as she previously served as the Cooperation Minister in the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD-BJP government in 2004. The ruling BJP currently holds 78 out of 147 seats in the Odisha Assembly and has formed its first government in the state.