Cuttack: Sophia Firdous, daughter of Congress MLA Muhammad Moquim, is set to contest the upcoming elections from the Barabati constituency. This decision was taken following a marathon meeting at Moquim’s residence on Wednesday, attended by leaders from all walks of life and party workers.
Moquim’s political future had been uncertain after he was found guilty in the ORHDC corruption case. Despite being granted bail by the Supreme Court, the refusal to stay the order of the lower court effectively blocked his path to contesting elections. This led to discussions within Moquim’s camp about nominating his daughter Sophia as his political heir.
Many senior workers and supporters of Barabati, Chaudwar and Sadar constituencies including the winning or losing corporators of all the Congress wards were gathered at the meeting. Unilaterally, they all tuned to propose Sophia’s candidacy in place of Moquim. After hours of discussions, Moquim’s supporters decided that since the PCC has not announced any candidates for Barabat, they claimed Sophia to get the ticket.
Sophia Firdous, a highly educated individual, has been active in Cuttack politics since 2014 and campaigned for her father Moquim in 2019. She is also involved in social work and real estate business, and through the Moquim Foundation, she has undertaken tasks such as organizing sports in the city, providing lessons to the helpless, empowering women and making young women self-reliant.
The final decision on the ticket now rests with the high command. If approved, Sophia Firdous will be a new face in the electoral field of Barabati constituency. This move is expected to retain Moquim’s pocket vote for the party. Moquim has stated that he will inform the Congress High Command about the proposal of the party workers.
The political landscape in Barabati is set for an interesting contest. While BJD candidate Prakash Behera is a veteran, he is new to Barabati. Sophia Firdous, despite being a familiar face in the city, is new to the harsh politics. The BJP, on the other hand, has not yet announced its candidate.
