Odisha Speaker Race Still Open: Naveen Keeping Cards Close To His Chest

Bhubaneswar: With an eye on 2024 twin polls, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik rejigged his Council of Ministers, the second in as many years, by inducting MLAs Bikram Keshari Arukha, Sudam Marndi, and Sarada Prasad Nayak into the Cabinet on Monday.

The three senior leaders received call from the CM office late last evening. But there has been no announcement so far on who would don the Speaker’s mantle.

Arukha, who was elected Speaker in June 22, resigned on May 12 citing personal reasons. However, he was open to joining the ministry and now holds the Finance portfolio.

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According to sources, Prafulla Samal, Debi Prasad Mishra, Amar Prasad Satpathy and Badri Narayan Patra are the frontrunners for the Speaker’s post. Snehangini Chhuria’s name is also doing the rounds and she might be picked if Naveen decides to play the woman card, a strategy which paid off in 2019 elections.

While BJD tasted success in its pilot experiment with Pramila Bisoi in Aska Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the defeat in Dhamnagar bypoll proved that excessive reliance on women empowerment card could also boomerang at times, according to political experts.

Naveen, therefore, could nominate an experienced person with the ability to handle the opposition to the convenience of the ruling party in the crucial year ahead of the next elections. And Prafulla Samal, Debi Prasad Mishra and Amar Prasad Satpathy with adequate experience and thorough knowledge of the legislative practices, might fit the bill.

This is no time to experiment and Naveen should instead bank on experience to avoid any trouble in the Assembly, they added.