Odisha Politics / Sofia Firdous To Contest 2029 Polls From OJC, Says Mohammed Moquim

Kataka, Aug 30: With the 2029 Odisha Assembly elections still some time away, political activity has already begun to gather momentum in the state.

In a significant development concerning the Barabati-Kataka Assembly constituency, former Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim has said his daughter and sitting MLA Sofia Firdous is likely to contest the next Assembly election on an Odisha Janata Congress (OJC) ticket instead of the Congress.

Moquim, who is the president of the OJC, made the claim during an interview with a media outlet. He said Sofia would contest from the Barabati-Kataka Assembly constituency as an OJC candidate in the 2029 elections.

Moquim reportedly criticised the Congress, saying the party currently lacks clear policies and principles. He said this was the reason for his decision that Sofia would contest the next Assembly election from the OJC.

However, Sofia Firdous has not yet issued any direct statement confirming the decision. Therefore, her future political affiliation and whether she will contest the 2029 election as an OJC candidate remain subject to clarification.

Also Read: Panchayat Elections: Rural Odisha To Redraw Party Fortunes

Sofia had won the Barabati-Kataka Assembly seat on a Congress ticket in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections. According to her election affidavit, she was 32 at the time of the election and holds a BTech degree in Civil Engineering from KIIT University. She also completed an Executive General Management Programme from IIM Bangalore in 2022.

Her father, Mohammed Moquim, had represented Barabati-Kataka as a Congress MLA after winning the constituency in the 2019 Assembly elections.

The reported announcement could add a new dimension to the political equations in Barabati-Kataka, where Sofia succeeded her father as the Congress representative in the 2024 Assembly election.