Bhubaneswar: Three months after being expelled from the Congress for questioning party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s competence on grounds of advancing age, former MLA Mohammed Moquim (61) on Sunday announced the name of his new regional political outfit — Odisha Janata Congress.The party may be formally launched on April 8 at a massive rally in Bhubaneswar, Moquim informed. “My party’s name will be Odisha Janata Congress, which is likely to be formally launched following a massive rally at Bhubaneswar on April 8. I have applied for the party’s registration with the Election Commission for approval,” Moquim said, unveiling the party’s flag.Moquim was expelled from the Congress on Dec 15, 2025, after he openly revolted against the leadership through a letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi. Days later, he disclosed plans to float a regional party and has since held multiple meetings with sidelined or inactive politicians to garner support.A former MLA from Barabati-Cuttack (2019-2024), now represented by his daughter Sofia Firdous of the Congress, Moquim claimed that several senior politicians have shown interest in joining his new outfit.The timing of his announcement coincides with a shifting political landscape in Odisha, where the opposition BJD and Congress recently reached a rare understanding to back independent nominee and urologist Datteswar Hota as their ‘common candidate’ for the March 16 Rajya Sabha elections.Asked about possible alliances, Moquim avoided specifics, stressing instead that his immediate priority is to strengthen the new party through statewide outreach. “We will raise our voice against women atrocities, liquor, unemployment and corruption,” he said.Moquim had a turbulent relationship with the Congress. He was suspended on July 15, 2023, after he questioned then OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak’s leadership, though he was reinstated in Jan 2024 ahead of the simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls. His 2019 election was annulled by the Orissa high court in March 2024 for failing to disclose criminal cases in his nomination affidavit, though the Supreme Court later stayed the order. He was also barred from contesting the 2024 polls due to his conviction in the ORHDC loan irregularities case in Sept 2022.Earlier, in July 2022, he faced a showcause notice for cross-voting in favour of NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.
