Ganjam district dominates list of Speakers in Odisha Assembly

Bikram Keshari Arukha, who is all set to become the new Speaker of the Odisha Assembly, will be the sixth MLA from Ganjam district to be elected for the prestigious post and the second man from his own constituency - Bhanjanagar.

The 60-year-old Arukha who was elected six times from the Bhanjanagar assembly constituency in Ganjam district in a row since 1995, filed his nomination papers for the post of the speaker on Friday and is all set to be elected on Monday.

The post of the speaker was lying vacant after Surya Narayan Patro, also from Ganjam district, resigned from the post on June 4 due to his health problems. Patro, a senior MLA of the ruling Biju Janata Dal, was elected from Digapahandi assembly constituency in the district. He was unanimously elected as the speaker of the sixteenth Assembly of the state on May 30, 2019.

Before Patro, Chintamani Dyan Samantra from the district was the speaker in the eleventh Assembly. Dyan Samantara, who had been elected as an Independent MLA in 1995 from Chikiti assembly constituency, had served as the speaker from 1996 to, 2000.

Before he became the speaker, Dyan Samantara had served two times as the deputy speaker from March 28, 1995 to February 12, 1996 and from March 18, 1985 to March 3, 1990.

Similarly, Somanath Rath, who had been elected as the MLA from Bhanjanagar segment in Congress ticket in 1980, served as the speaker of eighth Assembly from 1980 to 1984.The assembly speakers from Ganjam district had successfully conducted the businesses of the Houses because of their past experiences, said JK Mohapatra, former vice-chancellor, Berhampur University.