Bhubaneswar: Former MLA Mohammed Moquim formally launched his new political outfit, the Odisha Janata Congress (OJC), on Wednesday, announcing that the regional party will be actively involved in the upcoming panchayat and urban local body elections next year.Moquim’s daughter, Sofia Firdous — currently a suspended Congress MLA — shared the stage with him, sparking speculation about her political future.Moquim was expelled from the Congress a few months ago after questioning party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s competence, citing his advancing age.Taking aim at the Congress, BJD and BJP, Moquim claimed that the OJC would champion Odia rights. He alleged that despite the regime change in Odisha in 2024, the state’s political structure has remained unchanged. “After Tamil Nadu, now the Gujarat model is prevalent,” he said.Moquim, who once represented Barabati-Cuttack as a Congress MLA from 2019 to 2024, criticized his former party for functioning like an ally of the BJD. He said ideological differences forced him to break away and the OJC would pave the way for youth leadership in Odisha.Sofia, who won the Barabati-Cuttack seat on a Congress ticket but was suspended for cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha election, avoided committing to her father’s party. “Time will tell,” she said when asked about her next move.The launch of OJC comes at a time of shifting political equations in Odisha. The opposition BJD and Congress recently joined hands to support Independent nominee and urologist Datteswar Hota as their common candidate in the March 16 Rajya Sabha election. The two parties are also exploring an electoral tie-up for next year’s urban local body and panchayat polls.Meanwhile, the BJP, BJD and Congress dismissed OJC’s prospects. “There is no harm in floating a new party. But it will not have any impact on state politics,” BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said.BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo and Congress spokesperson Prasant Satpathy echoed similar views, asserting their parties would remain unaffected.
