Bhubaneswar, Jun 1 (IANS): Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and seven-time legislator Surjya Narayan Patro was on Saturday elected as the Speaker of Odisha Assembly.
The Digapahandi MLA was elected uncontested as the Speaker of the 16th Odisha Legislative Assembly.
The proposal for Patro's name was tabled by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and it was supported by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh and other members of the House.
Pro-tem Speaker Amar Prasad Satpathy announced Patro's name and invited him to take the charge as the Speaker.
Patro has won the Assembly elections seven times - four times from Mohana constituency and thrice from Digahapahandi constituency. He has held several ministerial portfolios in Naveen Patnaik's last four terms in the state.
In the previous government, Patro was the Minister for Co-Operation, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare.