Odisha Assembly Polls: OPCC Recommends Sofia Firdous’ Name For Cuttack-Barabati To AICC

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has proposed to AICC for nominating Sofia Firdous for Cuttack-Barabati Assembly constituency in the ensuing elections.

Odisha in-charge Ajay Kumar on Saturday told the media that the name of Sofia has been recommended to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for the constituency for its approval. He hoped that the AICC would notify her name soon.

The OPCC decided to field Sofia for the seat after the Supreme Court refused to stay the conviction of her father and sitting MLA of Cuttack-Barabati, Md Moquim, in the Odisha Rural Housing and Development Corporation Limited (ORHDC) loan irregularities case.

Though the apex court suspended the sentence of imprisonment of the senior Congress leader, it did not stay his conviction. As a result, Moquim cannot contest in the Assembly elections starting in the state from next month.

Congress leaders, corporators, workers and office-bearers held a crucial meeting to finalise the strategy at Moquim’s residence at Cuttack two days back. Though Moquim did not comment on the nomination of his daughter for the seat, there was a consensus among the leaders in her support at the meeting, party sources said.

“I won’t be able to contest the elections as per the SC verdict. Accordingly, a discussion was held to pick possible candidates for the seat and we hope to reach a consensus. A proposal will then be sent to the AICC,” the MLA had said.

Cuttack-Barabati seat holds significance for the Congress as Moquim had won from the seat by defeating BJD’s Debashish Samantaray in 2019 Assembly elections when Congress faced drubbing and could bag on only 9 of the 147 seats.