After Congress, BJP Also to Boycott Odisha Assembly Speaker Election

Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Friday declared that the MLAs of the party will boycott the election for the post of Odisha Assembly Speaker scheduled to be held on September 21.

The date for the election of the assembly speaker coincides with Nuakhai, a major festival of western Odisha. Odisha BJP alleged that the decision to hold the speaker election spoke of the step-motherly attitude of the BJD government towards western Odisha districts.

“Even as people of Western Odisha celebrate Nuakhai on September 20 and 21 for two days, the Chief Minister has scheduled the Speaker election on Sept 21. So, we will boycott the election,” said BJP MLA Nauri Nayak said in a press meet.

According to him, the government is adamant about holding the election for Assembly Speaker on September 21, despite repeated requests to change the date as it falls. Citing this reason, the BJP MLAs have decided to boycott the election, said Nauri Nayak.

Citing similar reason related to Nuakhai, Odisha Congress MLAs have also decided to boycott the Odisha Assembly Speaker election.

The post of Odisha Assembly Speaker became vacant when former Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha resigned from the post on May 12.

Nuakhai is an agrarian festival observed in western Odisha districts to welcome the crop of the new session.