Sofia Firdous (born 23 August 1991) is an Indian politician and a sitting Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from the Barabati-Cuttack constituency. She assumed office on 4 June 2024, succeeding her father, Mohammed Moquim.
She became the first woman from the Odia Muslim community and the first millennial to be elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Initially elected as a member of the Indian National Congress, she became an Independent politician in March 2026 following her expulsion from the party.
Early Life and Education
Sofia Firdous was born in Cuttack, Odisha. She completed her schooling at St. Joseph’s Girls’ High School and Ravenshaw Junior College. She pursued a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from KIIT University, graduating in 2013. She later completed an Executive General Management Program from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore in 2022.
Professional Career
Before entering politics, Sofia Firdous was an entrepreneur and served as a Director at Metro Group. She was actively involved in real estate and asset development projects, managing operations, marketing, and business growth.
She held key leadership roles in industry organizations, including President of CREDAI Bhubaneswar Chapter from 2023 to 2025, becoming the first woman to lead a city or state chapter. She also served as CWW East Zone Coordinator at CREDAI from 2019 to 2023 and as Co-Chair of the Indian Green Building Council Bhubaneswar Chapter.
She has also been associated with the CII Indian Women Network (IWN) Odisha and ICC INWEC Odisha.
Social Contributions
She is a trustee of the Moquim Foundation, which focuses on social welfare and community service.
Political Career
Sofia Firdous entered politics in 2024 and contested the Odisha Legislative Assembly elections from Barabati-Cuttack as a Congress candidate. She won the election by a margin of 8,001 votes against Purna Chandra Mahapatra of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
By winning the seat, she continued her father’s political legacy and emerged as a young political leader in Odisha.
On 17 March 2026, she was expelled from the Congress party after defying the party whip during a Rajya Sabha election. Since then, she has been serving as an Independent MLA.
Personal Life
Sofia Firdous married Sheikh Mairajul Haque in 2015. He is an entrepreneur with business operations across multiple states in India.
Awards and Recognition
She has been recognized with Times Power Woman awards in 2021 and 2023 and was listed among the Top 20 Inspirational Personalities of Odisha in 2021.