Ranendra Pratap Swain Takes Oath as Pro-tem Speaker of Odisha Assembly

Bhubaneswar: Ranendra Pratap Swain, an 8-term BJD MLA from Athagarh, was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly on Friday. Governor Raghubar Das administered the oath of office at Raj Bhavan, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in attendance.

The pro-tem Speaker will oversee the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected MLAs on June 18 and 19, followed by the election of a full-time Speaker on June 20. Senior BJP leader Surama Padhy is tipped to be the frontrunner for the Speaker’s position.

In a historic win, the BJP secured 78 out of 147 Assembly seats in Odisha. The new government, led by CM Majhi, includes two Deputy Chief Ministers, eight Cabinet Ministers, and five Ministers of State with independent charge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states, graced the swearing-in ceremony at Janata Maidan on Wednesday.

Portfolio allocation for the 15 ministers is expected to be announced soon. The diverse council of ministers reflects regional balance, with representatives from key districts such as Ganjam, Balangir, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, and Dhenkanal. Notably, the cabinet includes one woman, three members from Scheduled Tribes, and two from Scheduled Castes.