Congress MLA Sofia Firdous defends father’s vote for Droupadi Murmu in Presidential election

Congress legislator Sofia Firdous on Thursday has defended her father Mohammed Moquim’s decision of voting in favour of NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu during the presidential election, stating that it was correct and that the party had erred in criticising him.

Firdous explained that her father had prioritised Odia identity, voting for Murmu, the Odia daughter, in the presidential election. Now, Droupadi Murmu has become the President of India, a historic achievement and a moment of immense pride for Odisha.

Speaking about the decision, Sofia Firdous said, “I feel extremely happy and proud of my father’s decision to vote for Odisha’s daughter during the Presidential election. He stood for Odia Asmita. This is a moment of pride for us as President Droupadi Murmu will address the House. As far as I know, there was no whip, so he voted for Odisha’s daughter.”

At the time, Mohammed Moquim had supported the NDA candidate, Draupadi Murmu, which created controversy within the state Congress. The party later took disciplinary action against him.

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Firdous added that her father had initially chosen to uphold regional pride before party considerations, reflecting his commitment to Odia heritage. She expressed excitement over the President’s upcoming address to the Odisha Assembly, describing it as a proud occasion for every citizen of the state.