Ex-Odisha MLA Mohammed Moquim. Photo: X@iammdmoquim
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has expelled Mohammed Moquim, a former Congress MLA from Odisha, for demanding a change in leadership and calling for the transfer of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s responsibilities to younger leaders, citing his age.
He, in a letter addressed Rajya Sabha member and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, expressed dissatisfaction over the selection of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC). Congress was choosing leaders to head the party in the State who themselves were not able to win their own seats, said Mr. Moquim in the letter.
AICC has approved the proposal for the expulsion of Md. Moquim from the primary membership of the party, due to anti-party activities, said OPCC in a notice.
The letter sent by Mr. Moquim says despite being an MLA he was unable to meet Rahul Gandhi for almost three years which was not his personal grievance, but a wider emotional disconnect felt by workers across India.
He went on to say that Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jaiveer Shergill, Milind Deora and Himanta Biswa Sarma were among others who left the party feeling unheard, overlooked and neglected.
Mr. Moquim , who is former MLA of Barabati-Cuttack Assembly constituency, said youths were waiting for Priyanka Gandhi to take central, visible and active leadership role.
On Congress leadership in Odisha, he said present Odisha Pradesh Congress President Bhakta Charan Das and his predecessor Sarat Pattanayak failed to register win from their respective constituencies, yet were chosen to lead the party in Odisha which suffered electoral debacle elections after elections.
“In Odisha, we have faced six consecutive defeats, and at the national level, we have recently endured 3 major setbacks back-to-back. Our presence is shrinking geographically, organisationally, and even emotionally. For loyal workers who have dedicated their lives to the Party, this reality is not just disappointing, but truly heartbreaking,” Mr. Moquim said.
The former MLA said, “today, the Congress needs revival — structural, emotional, ideological, and organisational. We need transparency, merit-based appointments, youth empowerment, and a leadership that remains emotionally connected to its workers.”
It is to be noted that Mr. Moquim’s daughter, Sofia Firdous, is now representing Barabati-Cuttack constituency as Congress MLA.
Published – December 15, 2025 11:36 am IST
