Bhubaneswar, March 14: With the Rajya Sabha elections just two days away, Congress MLA from Cuttack-Barabati, Sofia Firdous, has raised concerns over the party’s internal communication and the manner in which decisions were taken regarding support for candidates.
Speaking on the issue, Firdous said she was unaware of the reasons behind some Congress MLAs from Odisha being moved outside the state ahead of the polls. She clarified that no one from the party had contacted her about travelling to Bengaluru or any other location in connection with the elections.
“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 said.
The Cuttack-Barabati legislator also claimed that Congress MLAs in Odisha were not consulted before the party decided to extend support to a candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections. According to her, since MLAs are responsible for casting votes in the polls, their views should have been taken into consideration before arriving at a decision.
“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.
Commenting on the political landscape of the state, Firdous alleged that the decline of the Congress in Odisha since 2000 was largely due to the role played by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). She further claimed that the BJD had repeatedly supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on several occasions.
“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 during voting and other matters,” she alleged.
Firdous also criticised the idea of any political understanding with the BJD, stating that Congress workers and leaders had faced political harassment over the years. In her view, aligning with such a party would not be appropriate for Congress.
She added that if the party had fielded an independent candidate and discussed the move collectively with MLAs, it would have helped maintain their dignity within the political process.
However, the MLA stressed that her immediate priority remains the development of her constituency.
“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.
