In a historic milestone for Odisha, Sofia Firdous, a 32-year-old Muslim woman, has been elected as a legislator in the state assembly, marking the first time a Muslim woman has held such a position. Running on a Congress ticket, Sofia won the Barabati-Cuttack seat by defeating her nearest rival, Purnachandra Mohapatra of the BJP, with a margin of 8,100 votes.

Sofia's victory is particularly significant as it comes after her father, senior Congress leader Mohammad Moquim, was disqualified from his legislative position due to a corruption conviction. Following his disqualification, the Congress party nominated Sofia to contest from the same constituency.

Sofia has expressed that she draws inspiration from Nandini Satpathy, who won the Barabati-Cuttack assembly seat in 1972 and later became the first female Chief Minister of Odisha. Known as the "Iron Lady of Odisha," Nandini's legacy has greatly influenced Sofia's political aspirations.

In the recent state assembly elections, the BJP emerged victorious, winning 78 out of 147 seats and securing a single majority. This victory ended the 24-year rule of the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which won 51 seats. The Congress party managed to secure 14 seats in this election. A majority in the Odisha state assembly requires at least 74 seats.

Sofia's election is seen as a groundbreaking achievement and a step towards greater representation and diversity in Odisha's political landscape.