Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former minister Bikram Keshari Arukh on Monday was elected as the Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. He represents the Bhanjanagar Assembly constituency.

Arukh, 60, who had earlier worked as the minister of forest and environment in the Naveen Patnaik government, resigned from the ministry along with other ministers on the direction of the chief minister.

While 10 leaders failed to make a comeback to the ministry during the reshuffle that took place on June 5, Arukh was given the opportunity by Patnaik to become the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly.

Earlier, Surjya Narayan Patro was the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly. He resigned from the Speaker’s post on health grounds.

Both Arukh and Pato hail from Ganjam district, the home district of Patnaik. Sources revealed after Patro’s exit, Patnaik did not want to make Arukh unhappy.

“Our party president and the chief minister is aware that BJP is trying to make inroads into Ganjam district. He does not want to make the BJD leaders from Ganjam unhappy,” said a BJD leader.

The party has already taken Srikant Sahoo and Usha Devi from Ganjam into his ministry.

The election to the post of Speaker was held at a special session of the Assembly on Monday. As the Congress and the BJP did not put-up candidates for the Speaker’s post, Arukh was elected unopposed.

The chief minister took Arukh to the seat of the Speaker. After the election, the House was adjourned.

After his election, Arukh said: “I would work hard to protect and maintain the dignity and rich values of the Odisha assembly.”

The Congress and the BJP urged Arukh to maintain impartiality during his tenure as Speaker.