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 spotlight on Firdous to fill in the shoes of her father.
Sofia Firdous, 32, is a former real estate 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 Assembly 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 experience 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 continued to say "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."
She found herself often 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 2014 and then emerged victorious in 2019."
Sofia Firdous beat her rival BJP's Purna Chandra Mahapatra by 8,001 votes.
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 never 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 Naveen 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 Independent candidates.
In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJD faced a setback with the BJP winning 20 seats and the Congress taking 1 out of 21 seats in the state.
