Expelled Congress Leader MD Moquim to Hold Youth Convention as Prelude to New Party Launch
Congress leaders familiar with the decision said the leadership viewed Moquim’s letter as an act of indiscipline and anti-party conduct, prompting the disciplinary action.
Bhubaneswar: Expelled Congress leader Mohammed Moquim, who has announced plans to float a new regional political party later this year, is set to test his organisational strength with a large youth convention in Bhubaneswar on Monday, a move widely seen as the first public step towards formalising his political alternative in Odisha.
The convention is expected to draw more than 1,200 youth leaders from across the state, particularly from the coastal districts, signalling growing mobilisation among younger political activists disenchanted with existing party structures. Moquim has indicated that the new party would be formally launched by the end of March.
The Bhubaneswar event is being projected as a platform for consultations rather than a formal political launch, with discussions expected to focus on Odisha’s development trajectory, employment opportunities and youth participation in governance. Party insiders say similar interactions with women’s groups and farmers’ organisations are planned in the coming weeks.
“As I have said earlier, launching a new political formation requires wide consultations and careful planning. We are proceeding step by step. By the end of March, all preparations will be completed and the foundation of a new party will be laid,” Moquim said. He added that the process would involve deliberations across social groups to finalise responsibilities and evolve a clear political agenda for the state.
Observers say the expected turnout at the youth convention will be closely watched, as it could indicate whether Moquim is able to convert dissent within the Congress into a broader political base. Youth participation has been positioned at the centre of his emerging political narrative.
Moquim was expelled from the Congress for six years on December 15, 2025, following a proposal by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, which was subsequently approved by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). The action came after Moquim wrote a five-page letter to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi questioning the functioning of the state unit.
In the letter, Moquim criticised Das’s leadership, pointing to his defeat in three consecutive elections, and cited the party’s heavy loss in the Nuapada Assembly by-election, where the Congress trailed by over 83,000 votes. He also flagged the party’s poor performance in the last three Lok Sabha elections and recent Assembly polls, calling for deep organisational and ideological reforms to restore public confidence.
Congress leaders familiar with the decision said the leadership viewed Moquim’s letter as an act of indiscipline and anti-party conduct, prompting the disciplinary action.
