Days after he wrote to Sonia Gandhi calling for the dismissal of party president Mallikarjun Kharge on the grounds that "age is not on his side," the Congress party fired former MLA Mohammed Moquim on Monday.
Congress did not define the "anti-party activities" that led to his dismissal. "This is for the information of all concerned that AICC has approved the proposal for the expulsion of Sri Md. Moquim from the primary membership of the party, due to anti-party activities," the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) notice stated.
In a letter to Sonia, Moquim said that the Grand Old Party was going through a "difficult phase" and urged the party to think about putting forth "young leaders".
"I've sent Sonia Gandhi a letter explaining that the party is going through a challenging time and needs her guidance and fresh leadership.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the AICC, is becoming older. Young leaders should be brought forward. He had stated, "I know Sonia ji and the CWC members will definitely discuss this Nuapada by-elections were concerning."
The 60-year-old was criticized over the letter after OPCC chief Bhakta Das compared his comments to those of the BJP. "Those who oppose the party leadership ought to join the BJP right away," he declared on Sunday.
Moquim blamed a "series of wrong decisions, misguided leadership choices" for the party's recent electoral losses in Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Kashmir in a letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi.
"The recent outcomes in Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Kashmir, where our defeats were by staggering margins, are not just electoral setbacks; they reflect a deeper organisational disconnect," the letter stated.
"The Party has been undermined from inside by a number of poor choices, foolish leadership decisions, and the ongoing consolidation of power in the wrong hands.
We seem to be repeating these mistakes rather than fixing them, and the nation as a whole can now see the results," the letter continued. The "responsibilities being entrusted to the right people" was another point raised in the letter.
"Are decisions being made with seriousness? These are painful concerns. Are the appropriate individuals being given responsibilities? He said, "Do we allow the Party's decline to continue unchecked, with decisions remaining in the wrong hands, or do we fully understand the gravity of this crisis?"
Shehzad Poonawalla of the Bharatiya Janata Party responded to the "internal rift" with the statement, "Team Priyanka vs. team Rahul out in the open now Internal rift in Congress out!"
An important Odisha Congress politician To Sonia Gandhi, in writing: Kharge Hatao and Priyanka Lao say: Attacks on central and state leadership Mohammed Moquim, the leader of Odisha, has questioned the country's leadership problem and demanded a thorough organizational, structural, and ideological overhaul in order to revitalize the party.
He observes a "deep and growing disconnect" between the Congress leadership and Indian youth, claiming that the party has failed to connect with the younger generation under the 83-year-old leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge.
Moquim had already encountered controversy. On July 15, 2023, he was suspended for challenging Pattanaik's leadership; this decision was later revoked on January 23, 2024, in advance of the concurrent Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
In July 2022, he was sent with a show-cause notice for cross-voting in favor of NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu. After being found guilty in a state vigilance case on September 29, 2022, the former Barabati Cuttack MLA whose seat is currently held by his daughter Sofia Firdous was barred from running in the 2024 elections.
