With the Rajya Sabha elections just two days away, Cuttack-Barabati MLA Sofia Firdous has expressed serious concerns regarding internal communication gaps and the lack of consultation within the Congress party’s decision-making process for supporting candidates.
Addressing the current situation, Firdous expressed surprise over reports that several Odisha Congress MLAs were moved out of the state, noting that she was never informed or contacted about any plans to travel to Bengaluru or other locations.
“I don’t know about it because nobody contacted me regarding going to Bengaluru or anything related to that. So I cannot comment much on that matter,” she remarked.
Firdous specifically highlighted the lack of dialogue with legislators before the party finalised its support for a Rajya Sabha candidate. She argued that since the MLAs are the actual voters in these elections, their perspectives should have been a priority.
“If our opinions had been sought, we could have sat together and discussed what decision would be right or wrong. But no consultation was done with us,” she said.
In her assessment of the state’s political climate, Firdous alleged the Congress’s decline in Odisha since 2000 was largely due to the role of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). She alleged that the BJD has a history of strategic alignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), frequently backing them during crucial votes in the Assembly and both houses of Parliament.
“The BJD has always been clear in its stand and has supported the BJP at many levels. Whether in the Assembly, Lok Sabha, or Rajya Sabha, their MPs have often backed the BJP in voting and other matters,” she alleged.
She strongly criticised the prospect of an alliance with the BJD, pointing out that Congress workers and leaders have endured years of political harassment from them. In her view, partnering with the BJD is fundamentally incompatible with the interests of Congress workers.
She suggested that the party’s dignity would have been better preserved had they fielded an independent candidate after a consensus-building exercise with all MLAs.
However, the MLA emphasised that her primary focus remains on her constituency and its development.
“My focus is on my constituency. The people who voted for my father earlier and now have voted for me expect development work. I am committed to working for them,” she said.
