Congress expels leader who raised concern over Kharge’s age; he says ‘no regret’

The Congress has expelled the party’s Odisha leader and former MLA Mohammed Moquim, who had recently sent a letter to Sonia Gandhi, expressing concern over party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge’s age.

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee issued an official notice, saying AICC has approved the proposal for the expulsion of Moquim from the primary membership of the party.

Moquim, who had represented the Barabati-Cuttack assembly constituency, had said in his letter that the party should bring forward young leaders to revitalise the organisation and strengthen its connection with the electorate.

"I have written a letter to Sonia Gandhi stating that the party is going through a difficult phase and needs her advice and new leadership," he later told reporters.

"Age is not on AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge's side," he added.

In the letter, Moquim expressed deep anguish over the Congress’s organisational decline and leadership failures, and also warned that the party was losing its legacy not because of external political opponents but due to decisions taken within the organisation.

The former MLA also reportedly flagged Rahul Gandhi's inaccessibility, stating that he had not been able to meet him for the past three years.

Reacting to media reports of his expulsion, Moquim said on Monday that he had no regret in writing the letter. Speaking to News 18, he said the baton of the party should be in the hands of the new generation.

“I respect Mallikarjun Kharge ji, but the thinking that is required today, especially when the Congress party is playing the role of the opposition, is different. While in opposition, a party has to rebuild itself, and considering Kharge ji’s age, that is not possible. We are losing elections one after another. The baton should be in the hands of the new generation," he said.