The Odisha Legislative Assembly (OLA) is all set to get its first woman Speaker as Governing Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today announced Veteran Legislator Pramila Mallik as its candidate for the post.
Shrimati Mallik will file her nomination paper on 21 September. If more than one candidate file nomination for the prestigious Constitutional post, an election will be held on September 22.
As the Governing Party has a thumping majority in the House, it is almost clear that Shrimati Mallik will be elected for the Speaker post. If elected, she will be the first woman Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly.
By nominating the senior woman MLA, the BJD has once again played the women card. Local political pundits feel that the ruling party has played the women card as the Modi Government at Centre has created a buzz in the entire nation by introducing the Women reservation Bill in Lok Sabha. The move of the BJD will clearly counter the BJP to get mileage from the Women Reservation Bill, the political observer said.
In her first reaction to the Media, the BJD leader said, “I am grateful to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for reposing faith in me and selecting me for the top post. I will ensure that the Assembly functions in an impartial manner by holding discussions with Opposition parties.”
When asked whether the BJD has nominated her for the post to counter the Women reservation bill, she replied, “The vision of our CM is to give prominence to women and he demanded 33 percent reservation for women in legislation. After 5 years, the Centre tabled the Women’s Reservation Bill. What Odisha has done for women empowerment, neither any State or the Centre has done it so far.”
Shrimati Malik further said by nominating her for the Speaker post, the Chief Minister has once again proved that women are capable of doing everything.
Shrimati Mallik, a six-time Lawmaker from Binjharpur constituency in Jajpur district is currently holding the Revenue and Disaster Management portfolio in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Cabinet. She was elected to the State Assembly election for the first time in 1990 on a Janata Dal ticket. Later, she won the elections in 2000, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019 on the BJD ticket.
She had also held the post of Chief Whip of the BJD in the recent past. Shrimati Mallik had also earlier served as Women and Child Development Minister in the Naveen Patnaik dispensation.