New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS): Veteran BJD leader Pramila Mallik was elected as the Speaker of Odisha Assembly on Friday. The six-time MLA from Binjharpur in Jajpur district became the first woman Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

The Speaker post was lying vacant after the resignation of Bikram Keshari Arukha on May 12. Arukha was later included in the state Cabinet as the Finance Minister.

On the first day of monsoon session that began Friday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik proposed the name of Mallik as the 26th Speaker of Odisha Assembly. The proposal was later passed unanimously.

“I am very happy for being elected unanimously as the Speaker of the Assembly with the support of all parties. I will treat everyone equally under the constitutionally sanctioned rules and procedures,” Mallik told reporters.

Mallik, the former Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, resigned from the state Cabinet before filing her nomination for the Speaker’s post Thursday.

Notably, Mallik has been elected to the state Assembly from Binjharpur in 1990, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019.