Odisha Congress seeks disqualification of own MLAs, targets Sofia Firdous again over Rajya Sabha polls: How the Party has been alienating the State’s first and only Muslim woman MLA

The Congress in Odisha is outraged and fuming over the recent cases of alleged cross-voting in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha polls. The party, reduced to a few MLAs in the state they once ruled, is going beyond suspending the party MLAs and taking steps towards disqualification. This comes after three Congress MLAs, Sofia Firdous, Ramesh Jena, and Dasarathi Gomango, reportedly ignored party orders and chose to vote for BJP-supported Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the polls. The Congress move has raised questions not just about internal discipline but also about the party’s shrinking strength in Odisha and its repeated confrontations with emerging leaders like Sofia Firdous. Cross-voting upends Opposition strategy In the Rajya Sabha elections held in Odisha on 16th March, there was a dramatic collapse of the Opposition coalition. The Congress and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had joined hands to support a common candidate, Datteswar Hota, with the aim of gaining an extra seat and restricting the BJP’s entry into the Rajya Sabha. With the BJD holding around 48 MLAs (excluding suspended members) and Congress having 14, the alliance appeared comfortable enough to secure two seats. However, the situation changed when at least 11 Opposition MLAs cross-voted. These included eight from the BJD and three from Congress. This change resulted in an unexpected victory for Dilip Ray, as the BJP-backed candidate was able to win the fourth seat. The result was a disruption of the expected arithmetic victory for the Opposition alliance. Congress cracks down on its own leaders Within hours of the results, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) suspended the three MLAs involved. The party leadership has now decided to take it a step further by seeking their disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which deals with anti-defection. The OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das confirmed that the party will approach Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy to initiate the process. According to the law, if an MLA is seen as voluntarily giving up party membership or going against the party whip, they can be disqualified. Das strongly criticised the MLAs, calling their actions a betrayal of party trust. Sofia had expressed her displeasure over Congress functioning, stated Party being misled, weakened by some leaders It is notable here that days before the Rajya Sabha elections, Sofia had expressed her displeasure over the Congress Party’s functioning in the state, adding that some leaders in Congress are trying to sideline her. She had also rejected the notions of Congress MLAs being ferried to Bengaluru, and added that she is an elected representative of her constituency, and she does not need to go anywhere. Speaking to media, Sofia had also added that the state Congress leadership kept her in the dark, and did not ask for her opinion about the candidate to be supported by the party. #ବିଧାୟକଙ୍କ_ଗସ୍ତକୁ_ସୋଫିଆଙ୍କ_ନାପସନ୍ଦକଂଗ୍ରେସ ବିଧାୟକଙ୍କ ଗସ୍ତକୁ ନାପସନ୍ଦ କଲେ ବିଧାୟିକା ସୋଫିଆ ଫିର୍ଦ୍ଦୋସବିଧାୟକଙ୍କ ଗସ୍ତ ନେଇ ଗଣମାଧ୍ୟମରୁ ଶୁଣିଲି, ମୋତେ କିଛି କୁହାଯାଇନିବାହାରକୁ ଯିବାର କଣ ଆବଶ୍ୟକତା ରହିଛି, ଆମେ ନିର୍ବାଚିତ ପ୍ରତିନିଧିଆମେ ବି ନିଜେ ନିଜେ ନିଷ୍ପତ୍ତି ନେଇଛୁ: ସୋଫିଆ ଫିର୍ଦୋସ#ArgusNews… pic.twitter.com/Z7rVT1iCnX— Argus News (@ArgusNews_in) March 13, 2026 BJP accused of using influence Alongside disciplinary action against its own MLAs, the Congress has also accused the BJP of using money and influence to engineer the cross-voting. Bhakta Charan Das claimed that efforts were made to reach out to Opposition MLAs and persuade them to switch sides during the election. Similar concerns were raised by BJD leader and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who accused the BJP of horse-trading. However, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi dismissed these remarks, calling them inappropriate and defending the legitimacy of the outcome. A risky move by a shrinking Congress What makes the Odisha situation more striking is the Congress party’s limited strength in the state. With just 14 MLAs in the Assembly, the party is already struggling to remain politically relevant against stronger players like the BJD and BJP. In such a scenario, moving to disqualify three of its own MLAs could further weaken its presence. If the disqualification goes through, the party’s strength in the Assembly would drop even further, raising questions about whether such strict action could end up hurting the party more than helping it. For a party trying to rebuild its base in Odisha, losing sitting MLAs even over disciplinary issues could have long-term consequences. Sofia Firdous in the spotlight again Among the three MLAs, Sofia Firdous has drawn the most attention both because of her political profile and her background. She represents the Barabati-Cuttack constituency and is widely seen as one of the emerging young faces of the Congress in Odisha. She is also notable for being the only Muslim MLA in the state and the first Muslim woman MLA from Odisha. Her political journey is closely linked to her father, veteran Congress leader Mohammed Moquim, who had earlier won the same seat in 2019. Sofia stepped into electoral politics in 2024 and secured a victory despite a strong campaign by top BJP leaders. However, her relationship with the party leadership has been under strain for some time. Her father was expelled from the Congress after he wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi highlighting internal issues within the party and calling for major reforms. That episode had already brought Sofia into the spotlight, with discussions around internal divisions within the party. Now, with the cross-voting controversy, she finds herself at the centre of another political storm. Sofia, however, is immensely popular with her voters and a favourite of the media for her calm demeanour and consistent presence in the Assembly, raising relevant issues. She is also known to visit all over her constituency to meet people and address complaints. For a Congress that has been struggling to find its footing in the state, Sofia can be a promising young leader who will resonate with the youth. But Congress has been known to actively alienate and attack any promising young leader who dares to challenge the old guard and develop independent thinking. Repeated targeting raises questions Within political circles, there is growing chatter that Sofia Firdous has been repeatedly singled out by sections of the party leadership. Despite being seen as a young and energetic leader who connects well with voters, especially the youth, she has faced criticism and pressure from within her own party. Her rise as a new-generation leader has not been smooth, and the current action against her has added to the perception that internal rivalries continue to shape the Congress’s decisions in Odisha. Supporters point out that she has been active in the Assembly, raising issues and maintaining a visible presence on the ground. Yet, the party’s strong reaction against her in this episode suggests deeper tensions. Internal rifts continue to haunt Congress The developments in Odisha reflect a larger problem that has affected the Congress across states internal disagreements, leadership challenges, and difficulty in managing dissent. From expulsions of senior leaders to disciplinary action against sitting MLAs, the party has often struggled to balance internal debate with unity. The Odisha case now adds another chapter to that ongoing story. As the Congress prepares to move forward with disqualification proceedings, the bigger question remains: can the party afford to lose more of its already limited strength in a key state? For now, the focus is on the Speaker’s decision and the legal process ahead. But politically, the episode has once again exposed the fragile state of the Congress in Odisha where even a handful of votes can change the outcome, and internal divisions can prove just as damaging as external challenges.