Bhubaneswar: The newly elected MLA of Dhamnagar in Odisha’s Bhadrak district, Suryabansi Suraj, took oath in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Assembly Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha administered the oath of office to Suryabansi in presence of senior members of the House. After taking the oath, the MLA sought the blessings of the Speaker. Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Jay Narayan Mishra and other party leaders were present.
Before attending the oath taking ceremony, Suryabansi went to state headquarters of the party in Bhubaneswar where he was accorded a rousing welcome. The BJP leaders congratulated him with floral bouquets.
Speaking on the occasion, the new MLA said he was grateful to state BJP leaders for giving him the opportunity to contest in the byelection and the voters of his constituency to elect him as their representative. “I am indebted to my party and its leaders. I am also grateful to the people of Dhamnagar for their love and affection. I contested the election in a tragic pathetic condition soon after the demise of my father. But I came out successful due to the trust and confidence of the people of Dhamnagar,” he said.
Suryabansi was elected from Dhamnagar by defeating his nearest rival Abanti Dash of BJD with a margin of more than 9,000 votes. The byelection was necessitated after the death of sitting MLA and Suryabansi’s father Bishnu Charan Sethi.