Moquim Signals Launch Of New Regional Party With Youth Mobilisation in Odisha
Barabati-Cuttack Congress MLA and Moquim’s daughter, Sofia Firdous, attended as chief guest
Bhubaneswar: On the occasion of National Youth Day, expelled Congress leader Mohammed Moquim on Monday mounted a major show of strength by mobilising large numbers of young supporters in Odisha, signalling the formal groundwork for a new regional political party, which he plans to launch by March this year.
The youth-focused programme, held in Bhubaneswar, was projected as a consultative platform aimed at energising young leaders and organisers ahead of the proposed party’s formal unveiling. The event drew participation from across districts, particularly the coastal belt, and is being seen as Moquim’s first major public step towards carving out a political alternative in the state.
Adding political heft to the gathering, Barabati-Cuttack Congress MLA and Moquim’s daughter, Sofia Firdous, attended as chief guest. AISF state president Sanghamitra Jena was also present, reflecting broader youth and student engagement.
Addressing the gathering, Moquim said Odisha’s future development depended on the active involvement of young people and argued that changing political realities warranted a new platform. “On behalf of the Moquim Foundation, we want to tell young leaders and youths from different parts of Odisha that the time has come. A revolution is needed in the state,” he said.
He said the initiative was being launched under the slogan “Mo Odisha, Mo Dayitwa. Feriba Gouraba. Au Eka Biplaba Ra Abasyakata,” invoking Odisha’s linguistic and cultural legacy. Recalling the role of leaders such as Madhusudan Das and Gopabandhu Das in the formation of a language-based state, Moquim noted that Odisha would complete 100 years of its formation in 2036.
“The call today is for renewed efforts to make Odisha the number one state in the country,” he said.
Moquim reiterated that the new party would be formally launched by the end of March after consultations across social groups, including youth, women and farmers, to evolve a clear political agenda.
Political observers say the scale of youth participation will be closely watched as an indicator of whether Moquim can convert dissent within the Congress into a broader support base. Youth mobilisation has emerged as the central plank of his political narrative.
Moquim was expelled from the Congress for six years on December 15, 2025, after writing a letter to party leader Sonia Gandhi questioning the functioning of the Odisha unit and its recent electoral performance.