Bhubaneswar, Sep 21: Pramila Mallik on Thursday filed her nomination papers for election to the post of Speaker of Odisha Assembly. Earlier in the day, she resigned from the cabinet.
The election for Speaker will be held on Friday. If elected, she will be the first woman Speaker of the state legislature. Mallik also met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence today.
Mallik, a six-time legislator from Binjharpur constituency in Jajpur district is currently the Revenue and Disaster Management minister in Naveen’s cabinet. She had also held the post of Chief Whip of the BJD in the recent past.
Mallik had also earlier served as a minister in the Naveen Patnaik dispensation but was forced to resign in February 2011, in the wake of the multi-crore Dal scam.
In a related development, the additional charge of Revenue and Disaster Management Department was given to Sudam Marndi.
