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Studied in a Missionary college and an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, Sofia Firdous who scripted historical past by changing into the primary Muslim girl MLA of Odisha mentioned her victory has despatched a message of brotherhood to your complete nation.
Firdous, who additionally takes half in Durga Puja, mentioned she was born in a Muslim household however was raised among the many folks of Cuttack, who’re largely Hindus.
However first, she is a “proud Odia”, she asserted.
Congress candidate Firdous received the Barabati-Cuttack Meeting seat defeating her nearest candidate Purna Chandra Mahapatra of the BJP by 8,001 votes.
Talking to PTI, Firdous mentioned the folks of Cuttack consider in “brotherhood” they usually proved that faith has no place when the matter is about improvement.
“Faith for me is nothing apart from a medium of worship to the Supreme Energy, the Unseen Drive. I consider spirituality is crucial for all — Hindus, Muslims, Christians and every other group. It (spirituality) retains oneself united and offers energy,” she mentioned.
The 32-year-old MLA mentioned she has shut buddies amongst Hindus who by no means see her as completely different from them.
“In my childhood, I supplied prayer at school, participated in Durga Puja in my locality, and loved all of the festivals of various religions as Cuttack within the metropolis of brotherhood,” mentioned Firdous, an engineering graduate.
On changing into the primary Muslim girl MLA of Odisha, Firdous mentioned, “Initially, I’m a proud Odia and Indian. Individuals have voted for me as I’m a daughter of Cuttack. It’s a coincidence that I’m Muslim and it had not occurred earlier than.”
Over 140 girls have been elected to the Odisha meeting in almost 90 years of its historical past, however there was no Muslim amongst them.
“The tag of being the primary Muslim girl MLA of Odisha got here robotically. Thank God for all that. I’m completely satisfied,” she mentioned.
Firdous, who additionally heads a real-estate agency arrange by her father, mentioned her very best politician is Nandini Satpathy who was the chief minister of a Congress authorities in Odisha between 1972 and 1976.
Requested why she joined politics regardless of her engineering and administration background, Firdous mentioned she was made for politics as her father Mohammed Moquim is a “fashionable Congress chief” whose entanglement in a authorized case pressured her to enter this discipline “so early”.
Her father Mohammed Moquim was elected from the identical Meeting seat within the 2019 election. He couldn’t contest within the 2024 polls after being convicted within the Odisha Rural Housing and Growth Company Restricted (ORHDC) mortgage irregularities case.
“As my father was entangled in a authorized case and he couldn’t battle elections this time, I needed to enter into electoral politics. I had by no means thought to come back to politics so early. I contested the 2024 elections in an effort to retain my father’s legacy and full his work within the Barabati-Cuttack meeting phase,” she mentioned.
The younger Congress chief mentioned she had campaigned for her father within the 2019 elections and in addition sorted his ballot administration beforehand.
“The folks of my constituency have elected me preserving a view on my father’s work over the last 5 years and my profile. They trusted their daughter and I’ll stand by them in all conditions,” Firdous mentioned.
Requested about her father’s conviction forward of the elections, Firdous mentioned, “My father has been focused for political causes. The folks of Odisha have proven the BJD authorities its place on this election.”
BJD, which has been in energy within the state for twenty-four years, was defeated by the BJP within the elections. Within the constituency of Firdous, the BJD got here third after Congress and BJP.
The Congress had raised its sturdy voice over many points contained in the Meeting even when it had simply 9 MLAs, mentioned Firdous, an engineering graduate and an alumnus of IIM Bangalore.
“Now, the celebration has 14 MLAs whereas the principal opposition celebration BJD has 51 within the 147-member Home. Because the opposition has change into very sturdy now, it’ll play a serious position,” she said.
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