Will fight as an independent candidate, if Congress party denies ticket in 2024 polls, says Moquim

Bhubaneswar: A day after his suspension from Congress party, Barabati-Cuttack MLA Mohammed Moquim on Sunday said he will fight the 2024 Assembly elections in Odisha as an independent candidate, if the party denies him ticket.

The first-time legislator, however, expressed confidence that the Congress party will re-nominate him to fight from Barabati-Cuttack Assembly seat in 2024.

“I am confident that I will fight the poll as a Congress candidate. I will prefer to fight as an independent candidate, if the party denies me a ticket. But, I will not join in any other party. I will not leave the ideology of Congress party,” Moquim said in an interview to Kanak News.

Moquim also made it clear that he will remain in Congress party despite his suspension. “I have started my political career in Congress party and I will remain as a Congress man. A politician faces many ups and downs in his career. I hope that things would be fine in some days,” he said.

The Barabati-Cuttack MLA further revealed that he has asked his supporters not to give any comments or statement regarding his suspension from Congress party. Moquim also claimed that he was not involved in any anti-party activity.

“I have not done anything to weaken Congress party in Odisha. I am still urging the Congress leadership to take appropriate measures to strengthen the party in the state. I am ready to hold discussions with party leadership if the All India Congress Committee invites me for this purpose,” Moquim said.

Notably, the Congress party has placed Moquim and senior leader Chiranjib Biswal under suspension for their alleged anti-party activities.

The Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had earlier served notices on Biswal and Moquim and sought their explanation on the issue.

“The replies received from the two leaders were carefully considered and found to be unsatisfactory,” said Tariq Anwar, Member Secretary-DAC, AICC, in a notification yesterday.

Accordingly, the DAC has decided to place both the leaders under suspension from the party with immediate effect, added the notification.

Earlier, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak had complained before the AICC that both Biswal and Moquim were engaged in anti-party activities.