Chief minister Naveen Patnaik greets new Speaker Kishore Mohanty after his election. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 19: Senior BJD leader Kishore Mohanty was elected the 16th Speaker of the Assembly today unopposed.

On this occasion, Acting Speaker Prahallad Dora placed the motion for the election, of the highest constitutional post in Orissa, before the House.

While the CPI and NCP voiced their support during the election process, Congress boycotted the proceedings. Members of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha did not turn up for the election process.

Leader of the Opposition J.B. Patnaik accused the ruling BJD-BJP alliance of deciding the candidature without discussing the matter with the Congress first.

Kishore Mohanty, the three-time MLA from Jharsuguda constituency, has been working as the government chief whip in the Assembly since 2004.

Mohanty’s political career started in 1984 as a councillor to the local urban body. He then became the chairman of the Jharsuguda municipality in 1992 and continued till 1995.

Official formalities over, the new Speaker was congratulated by both chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Opposition leader J.B. Patnaik who walked up to the Speaker’s chair to wish him.

“I will do my best in sincerely upholding the dignity of the House and working in co-ordination with members of both the ruling party and the Opposition,” said Mohanty.

The chief minister yesterday had proposed Mohanty’s name for the post, following which he had filed the nomination papers. The Congress did not field any candidate.

The post was lying vacant since March 31 as the former Speaker, Maheswar Mohanty, resigned from his post following sexual harassment charges brought against him by a Lady Marshal of the Assembly, Gayatri Panda.

The monsoon session of the Assembly is set to start from tomorrow.

While the Congress has decided to highlight issues such as the failure of the government in containing the Naxalite menace and shortage of fertilisers in parts of the state, the ruling alliance has decided to counter the Opposition attack by raising issues against the Congress-led UPA at the Centre.

The session will continue till August 29.