Cuttack: Sofia Firdous, 32, has become the first Muslim woman legislator in the Odisha Assembly. She won the Barabati-Cuttack seat by a margin of 8,001 votes, defeating BJP’s Purna Chandra Mahapatra. Sofia succeeded her father, former Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim.
Educated in Cuttack, Sofia holds a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from KIIT University and completed an executive management program at IIM Bangalore. She previously managed a real estate business and was president of the Credai Bhubaneswar chapter.
In the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections, the BJP won 78 of 147 seats, ending the 24-year rule of the BJD. Sofia is the only Muslim representative in the state legislature, with Muslims comprising 2.17% of Odisha’s population.
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