Congress MLA from Odisha's Barabati-Cuttack Sofia Firdous is the first Muslim woman legislator of the state. She is the daughter of former Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim who could not contest in the recent state assembly polls due to a Supreme Court ruling which put a spotli🎃ght on Firdous to fill in the shoes of 🗹her father.
Sofia Firdous, 32, is a former real esta♛te developer and had been preparing for her father's reelection campaign when a Supreme Court ruling abruptly halted their plans.
Barely a month before the state Ass🌜embly elections, the family received a jolt when Mohammed Moquim was deemed ineligible to contest due to a conviction in an Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation loan fraud case.
With her father's experꦡience and help Firdous launched a focused one-month campaign. She gathered backing from her father's devoted supporters, even though some doubted if she could match his impact.
Speaking to NDTV, Firdous stated, "I am not a politician," Sofia emphasizedas she continued𒈔 to say "When my father was unable to contest the elections, a large gathering of 400-500 supporters convened at our residence. Recogn🅺ising the hard work and solid base my father had established in Cuttack, they unanimously endorsed me to step into the fray."
She found herself ofte🌌n questioning, "So why will people vote for me and trust me so quickly?"
She had earlier involved in campaigns for her father in last two terms and had gathered experience from there, she said, "I just had one month for the elections. My major fear was that people knew my father well as he had done a lot of grassroots work. He lost in ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ2014 and then emerged victorious in 2019."
Sofia Fird𒅌ous beat her rival BJP's Purna Chandra Mahapatra by 8,001 v꧃otes.
Addressing concerns about her identity, Sofia reaffirmed her commitment to her constituency and stated, "I am an ♒Odia, an Indian, and a woman first."
She added, "Throughout my career and professional life in real estate, I have worked hard for women's empowerment and I will continue to do so in politics as well. Being a Muslim politician is something I have neve♌r given thought to."
Her vision for inclusive development and progress transcends religious and political divides, reflecting her dedication to serving the diverse needs of 🅠her community.
In the recent Odisha assembly elections, former CM N🍷aveen Patnaik's 24-year rule came to an end as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed power with 78 seats out of 147.
The BJD secured 51 seats, while the Congress got 14, and three went to Indepe𝕴ndent candidates.
