Political circles are now abuzz about who among the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators will be picked up for the Deputy Speaker of the Odisha Assembly, the post which has been lying vacant after the resignation of Rajanikant Singh.
As per reports, nomination filing for the post will be held tomorrow while election to the post will be held on November 21.
BJD MLA Prashanta Muduli said, “Usually the leaders having experience and are well versed with Assembly proceedings, rules and regulations, and management are chosen for the post.”
His party colleague and Barchana MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy said, "Who will be eligible for the post will be known after the nomination filing. The leader of the House will take a call on the issue.”
It is said that the ruling party may choose a leader who can handle the proceedings in the Assembly as well as the onus of looking after the party organisation. Some sections of political observers say, since the Speaker has been picked up from coastal Odisha, the ruling party may look for a leader either from northern or western Odisha, in view of the 2024 general elections.
However, the onus lies with party supremo Naveen Patnaik who believed to take politically calculative step in this matter while elections are around the corner. The party is reportedly laying focus on its organisation well ahead of the 2024 elections.
It was said that as the party organisation became weak in Angul, Rajankant Singh was told to resign from the post of Deputy Speaker to look after the organisation in the district.
According to some political analysts, the revival of the demand for Kohal state in western Odisha has become a cause of concern for the ruling party. Hence, one of the legislators from western Odisha may be picked up for the post.
Another prickly issue over which the government has to face severe flak is the cabinet nod to a proposal relating to land sale and transfer of tribals, though the proposal has been put on hold. To please the tribals, the ruling party may play the tribal card in this matter.
Also Read: Odisha Assembly Deputy Speaker Rajanikant Singh quits
Attabira MLA and president of BJD’s women wing Snehagini Chhuria, Rairakhole MLA Rohit Pujari and Kabisuryanagar MLA Latika Pradhan are said to be in the forefront while the names of some experienced leaders doing the rounds for the post are Barchana MLA Amar Prasad Satpathy, MLAs Sashibhusan Behera, Sudhir Samal and Prafulla Samal.
Senior journalist and political observer Prasanna Mohanty said, "The BJD is focused more on organisation. A leader who has been given party’s organisational responsibilities will not be installed in such a constitutional post. A young leader who is devoid of organisational pressure may be handed out this post and will work as a junior to Speaker Pramila Mallik. And too, he may be from western Odisha.”
Notably, apart from the winter session of the Assembly, another session is left before the 2024 elections.