Naveen announces Amat, Pratap as BJD candidates for Odisha Speaker, RS polls

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 11:

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik today announced former Finance Minister Pradip Amat and party spokesperson Pratap Deb as BJD’s candidate for State Assembly Speaker election and Rajya Sabha poll, respectively.

“Biju Janata Dal candidate for the Rajya Sabha will be Pratap Keshari Deb. And the Speaker will be Pradip Kumar Amat,” Patnaik said.

“I thank the Chief Minister for nominating me for Rajya Sabha. There are several issues and problems of Odisha which will be raised in the Rajya Sabha,” Deb said.

Deb is currently the Odisha State Housing Board Chairman. He was Technical Education and Training and IT Minister in the Naveen Patnaik government during its third term. He lost the 2014 assembly election from Aul constituency.

The ruling party is all set to win the lone Rajya Sabha seat as it enjoys a thumping majority in the assembly.

The Upper House seat from Odisha had fallen vacant following resignation of Bishnu Charan Das on March 21 this year. His term of office would have ended on July 1, 2022.

The bye-election to the Rajya Sabha seat is scheduled to be held on May 25.

On the other hand, Amat had resigned on May 6 as the state Finance Minister, along with nine others, and the Chief Minister had effected a major reshuffle in his cabinet the next day.

It may be recalled here that Niranjan Pujari had tendered his resignation as the Assembly Speaker on May 5.

Election for the Speaker of State Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held on May 16.

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