Suspense continues over vacant Odisha Assembly Speaker post; opposition parties slam govt

It’s over 2 months that the coveted post of the Odisha Assembly Speaker is lying vacant. What is more surprising is the fact that the suspense over who will assume the post of the Odisha Assembly Speaker still prevails. Speculations are rife over the reasons why there is no urgency on the part of the government machinery to fill up the vacancy after the last Speaker of Odisha Assembly, Bikram Keshari Arukha stepped down citing personal reasons on May 12.

Arukha subsequently took charge as the state Finance Minister. Since then, Deputy Speaker, Rajanikant Singh has been discharging duties as the acting-Speaker.

Resentment is also brewing among political parties, who questioned whether the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has any respect toward the constitutional post? Whether the BJD is intentionally delaying the process or there are some issues within the party?

At present, all the works of the Odisha Assembly are continuing without the Speaker and the meetings of various House Committees are also not being held regularly.

While the Congress has termed it to be against the tradition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the BJD is considering the Odisha Assembly Speaker post to be a party post. The BJP has also termed such acts by the BJD as ‘undemocratic’.

“As per tradition and the Constitution, the post of Speaker should not fall vacant. But it is over two months that the post is vacant here,” said Senior Congress leader, Narasingha Mishra.

“The Speaker post is not a party post rather it is a Constitutional post. It shows that the BJD is feeling helpless for which such a situation has cropped up. There is also infighting in BJD which is another reason,” alleged Opposition Chief Whip, Mohan Majhi.

Responding to the allegations, BJD MLA Rajkishore Das said, “When there will be the need, the Speaker will be appointed. CM Naveen Patnaik takes a decision at the right time.”

Amidst the ongoing war of words, the question remains as to why the Constitutional post is not being filled? Under whose pressure the Assembly Speaker election has been stalled? Is it that the one who will be appointed as Speaker will not be able to undertake election campaigning for which there is no response?

Political experts say that the BJD is not able to finalise whom to make the next Odisha Assembly Speaker.

“It is shameful that the Speaker’s post is lying vacant. It seems that the ruling party is unable to finalise the name,” said senior journalist, Rabi Das.

Meanwhile, the names of senior BJD leaders including Prafulla Samal, Sashi Bhusan Behera, Debi Prasad Mishra, and Amar Satpathy are doing rounds for the Speaker’s post.