Sonepur BJD MlA Niranjan Pujari was elected as the Speaker of the 15th Odisha Assembly, here on Monday.
He became the 21st Speaker of the legislature. Four-time MlA Pujari was elected unopposed as no other candidate was fielded by any other political party against him in view of a formidable majority of the ruling party in the Assembly.
CM Naveen Patnaik brought a motion for election of Pujari as the Speaker. The proposal was seconded by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, following which Pro-Tem Speaker V Sugnan Kumari Deo declared Pujari elected to the exalted post.