Bhubaneswar, Apr 15 (PTI) Former Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim on Wednesday floated the Odisha Janata Congress, calling it a platform for Gen Z.
The realtor said the new party would aim to replace the BJD as the main opposition party and emerge as an alternative to the ruling BJP.
Moquim, who was a Congress MLA from the Barabati-Cuttack assembly seat, launched the new party at the Exhibition Ground here in the presence of large crowds. He was expelled from the Congress last year for raising questions about the party leadership.
Though no major leader from the state joined him during the launch of the party, his MLA daughter Sofia Firdous attended the programme. She was recently suspended from the Congress for allegedly cross-voting in favour of the BJP in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections.
Though she is technically in the Congress, Sofia expressed unequivocal support for her father and called upon the youth to join the movement for a developed Odisha.
Moquim announced his party would participate in the rural and urban polls in the state, likely to be held in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
He called upon youths to join the new party as it is meant for the Gen Z voters “who have potential to grow in politics but are denied opportunity by seniors in other parties”.
“Odisha Janata Congress is a party of youths and they will take up leadership roles in the future,” he told the gathering, while assuring them that his party would emerge as the “voice of Odisha”.
Moquim said his party aims to build a separate identity and offer a new direction to the state’s politics.
He said its focus will remain on long-term development rather than immediate electoral gains.
Moquim also came down heavily both on the ruling BJP and the Opposition BJD.
“The BJD and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. The government has changed, but the pattern of governance has not. Under the previous BJD government, businessmen and contractors used to come from Tamil Nadu, now they are coming from Gujarat and Maharashtra,” he said.
Moquim alleged that the local businessmen have remained ignored under both the BJD and the BJP governments. PTI AAM AAM ACD
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