Former Odisha MLA and Indian National Congress leader Mohammed Moquim has written a strongly worded letter to Sonia Gandhi, expressing deep anguish over the party’s organizational decline and leadership failures both nationally and in Odisha. The letter dated December 8, 2025 warns that the Congress is at risk of losing its century-old legacy due to internal decisions, not external defeats.
Moquim, a lifelong Congress worker whose family has deep ties to the party dating back to the freedom struggle, highlighted his own contributions, including reclaiming the Barabati-Cuttack seat in 2019 after 35 years. His daughter, Sofia Firdous, won the same constituency in 2024 despite heavy campaigning by top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. In the letter for former party president Sonia Gandhi, Moquim described the party’s condition as “alarming, heartbreaking, and unbearable,” pointing to six consecutive defeats in Odisha and three major national setbacks. He cited recent poor performances in Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Kashmir as evidence of a deeper “organisational disconnect.”
A key focus of the letter is the leadership crisis in Odisha. Moquim criticized the 2023 appointment of Sarat Patnaik as Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president, noting Patnaik’s repeated electoral losses, including forfeiting deposits, which led to the party’s lowest vote share of 13% in 2024. He also targeted the current OPCC chief, Bhakta Charan Das, appointed in 2025, for losing three consecutive elections and his past criticisms of the Gandhi family during the JP movement. Moquim highlighted Das’s support for a separate “Kosal State” and the party’s massive defeat in the recent Nuapada by-election by over 83,000 votes, calling it a sign of eroded trust.
On national front, Moquim talked about the growing distance between the leadership and grassroots workers, revealing he was unable to meet Rahul Gandhi for nearly three years despite being an MLA. “This is not a personal grievance but a reflection of a wider emotional disconnect felt by workers across India,” he wrote.
He also pointed out the party’s failure to connect with India’s youth, who constitute 65% of the population under 35. In a pointed remark, Moquim stated that Congress under 83-year-old Mallikarjun Kharge is unable to resonate with India’s youth. He also noted the exodus of “promising young leaders” like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jaiveer Shergill, Milind Deora, and Himanta Biswa Sarma due to feeling “unheard and neglected.”
He urged Priyanka Gandhi to assume a central leadership role, adding that other leaders like Sachin Pilot, D.K. Shivakumar, A. Revanth Reddy, and Shashi Tharoor should form the core leadership of the party. “This vision was itself reinforced at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir,” he added.
The letter also criticised the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan initiative for poor execution, alleging favouritism in appointments, such as in Odisha where less popular leaders were chosen over more capable ones. Moquim warned of growing frustration among senior leaders across India, leading to disillusionment and potential exits, and called for “open-heart surgery” of the party, a deep structural, ideological, and organizational renewal.
“The Congress must once again become an example of how India can be governed with vision, inclusiveness, and dignity,” he added.
Mohammed Moquim said that it is both his democratic right and his duty to speak honestly for the betterment of the party, and that “These concerns are not mine alone; they reflect the unspoken feelings of lakhs of Congress workers.” He claimed that he wrote the letter not out of anger, but out of “love for the Party my ancestors served, love for its ideology, and love for the lakhs of silent workers who are losing hope.”
He further added, “Today, the Congress needs revival- structural, emotional, ideological, and organisational. We need transparency, merit-based appointments, youth empowerment, and a leadership that remains emotionally connected to its workers.”
The letter has created two camps in the party, while one side has criticised Moquim for the letter, others say he has the right to raise issues concerning the party.
“His statements against Rahul Gandhi and Kharge should be seen as anti-party activities,” said former OPCC president Jayadev Jena, adding that “It appears that Moquim is preparing to leave the party.” Several other Congress leaders criticised Moquim and questioned his motive behind sending the letter.
But party leader Narasingha Mishra supported Moquim, saying “Any Congress member has a right to raise organisational matters with the high command and Moquim has done so.” He also defended making the letter public.
The party is reportedly considering disciplinary action against the former MLA over the outburst against the leadership.