Sofia Firodus: The First Ever Muslim Woman MLA Of Odisha (image@sofiafirdous1)
Sofia Firdous marked history in a remarkable electoral feat in Odisha. She became the first Muslim woman MLA of the state by clinching victory in Barabati-Cuttack assembly constituency at 32 years old. She won the high-profile seat on Congress ticket defeating BJP’s Purna Chandra Mahapatra, and BJD’s (Biju Janata Dal) Prakash Chandra Behra, with a comfortable margin of 8,001 votes.
Firdous’ journey into politics can be traced back to her family’s legacy and her own achievements. She is the daughter senior Congress leader Mohammed Moquim. Reportedly, Moquim was disqualified due to a corruption case, and Congress strategically fielded Firdous from Barabati-Cuttack, a seat previously held by her father.
Firdous is all poised to set the bar high by bringing in a blend of academic prowess and professional experience to the table. She is a graduate in Civil Engineering, and has completed Executive General Management Program from Indian Institute of Management (IIM-B) in 2022.
Before stepping into politics, she served as a director in her father’s Metro Builders company. She was actively involved with Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India from the Bhubaneswar unit.
Read also: Nexus Between BJP And BJD In Odisha: Rahul Gandhi
Firdous’ entry into politics came at a crucial time, when her family was going through a legal ordeal. He father Maquim was convicted in a corruption case in 2022. He was sentenced to three years in prison, and an additional 50,000 fine. When the Orissa High Court confirmed the conviction in last April, the family’s legal battle intensified.
Firdous’ father was announced ineligible to contest, only a month before the assembly election was supposed take place. He was disqualified as Supreme Court did not stay his conviction in the corruption case linked to the Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) loan fraud.
With only 30 days left and no potential candidates to field, the grand old party pinned its hope in Firdous, who took up the front seat by abandoning her career. “I am not a politician. When my father was unable to contest the elections, a large gathering of 400-500 supporters convened at our residence. Recognising the hard work and solid base my father had established in Cuttack, they unanimously endorsed me to step into the fray”, Firdous told NDTV.
Notably, Firdous was not new to campaigns. She helped her father in 2014 and 2019 elections, managing to reach out door-to-door, social media, and closely collaborating with other party workers.
Read also: 2024 Lok Sabha Election Results: How Regional Parties Fared This Time
She did her campaigning from 6 am to 2 pm in the sweltering heat, and then from 5 pm to 9 pm. Firdous said she focused on door-to-door campaign, which paid off, Firdous told NDTV.
On the other hand, BJP emerged victorious in Odisha by clinching victory over 78 seats in the 147-member assembly, a significant shift from BJD’s previous 24-year long reign. BJD managed to secure 51 seats, while the Congress took 14 seats, and three went to Independent candidates. In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJD suffered a rout with the BJP winning 20 and the Congress emerging victorious in 1 out of 21 seats in the state.
