P. A. Sangma

P. A. Sangma
P. A. Sangma
	File:P A Sangma.jpg
Constituency	Tura
Member of Parliament - Lok Sabha
	In office; 1999–2008
	In office; 1996–1998
	In office; 1984–1988
	In office; 1980–1984
	In office; 1976–1980
Speaker of the Lok Sabha
	In office; May 25, 1996 – March 23, 1998
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
	In office; 1995–1996
Minister of Labour and Employment
	In office; February 1995 – September 1995
Chief Minister of Meghalaya
	In office; February 6, 1988 – March 25, 1990
Preceded by	W. A. Sangma
Succeeded by	B.B. Lyngdoh
Personal details
Born	1 September 1947 (age 76); West Garo Hills, Meghalaya
Spouse	Soradini K. Sangma
Children	2
Residence	West Garo Hills

Purno Agitok Sangma (born September 1, 1947, Meghalaya, India) is an Indian politician. He is a former Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chief Minister of Meghalaya. He was a co-founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and remained a member of the Lok Sabha for eight terms, i.e. 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Lok Sabha. Currently he represents the Tura (ST) constituency in the West Garo Hills district in the eighth Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Early life and education

P. A. Sangma was born on 1 September 1947 in village Chapathi in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya to Dipchon Ch. Marak and Smt. Chimri A. Sangma.^[2]

After completing his graduation in (B.A. (Hons.) from St. Anthony's College, Shillong, he went to Dibrugarh University in Assam for his Masters degree in International Relations. Subsequently, he also obtained a degree in Law (LL.B).

Career

In 1973, he became Vice-President of the Pradesh Youth Congress in Meghalaya and became the General Secretary the next year. He served as the General Secretary of the Pradesh Congress Committee of Meghalaya from 1975 to 1980.

In 1977, he was elected to the 6th Lok Sabha from Tura (Lok Sabha constituency) and remained a member of the Lok Sabha until 14th Lok Sabha, except for the 9th Lok Sabha. From 1980 to 1988, he served the Union Government of India under various capacities. He served as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990. In 1991, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha again, he again served the Union government until 1996 when he became Speaker of Lok Sabha.

The NCP general secretary was expelled from the Congress on May 20, 1999, along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar for raising the banner of revolt against Sonia Gandhi over her foreign origin issue.^[3] He was one of the founders of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar in 1999, after their explusion.^[4] In January 2004, P.A.Sangma created a split in the NCP. This happened after Sharad Pawar became close to the NCP's former rival Sonia Gandhi. After losing a battle for the NCP election symbol, Sangma later merged his faction with Mamta Bannerjee's Trinamool Congress, forming the Nationalist Trinamool Congress. He resigned from his Lok Sabha seat on October 10, 2005 as a member of All India Trinamool Congress, and was reelected as NCP. candidate on February 2006.

In the Lok Sabha elections 2004 Sangma was one of two NTC MPs elected. He resigned from 14th Lok Sabha in March 2008, to take part in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly election, 2008

Sangma resigned from NCP on June 20th, 2012 after opposition from Sharad Pawar over his Presidential candidature. It is to be seen how a founder member's resignation is taken by NCP as founder member. Sangma whose candidature has been proposed by AIADMK, and BJD and now, supported by BJP as well, will be contesting against Pranab Mukherjee for the post of the President.^[5]

^[6]^[7]

Cabinet positions held

1991-93 - Union Minister of State, Coal (Independent Charge)
1993-95 - Union Minister of State, Labour (Independent Charge)
February–September 1995 - Union Minister of State, Labour
1995-96 - Union Cabinet Minister of Information and Broadcasting

Personal life

Sangma's daughter Agatha Sangma was elected in the same constituency in the 15th Lok Sabha elections, and is also the youngest Minister of State in the current Cabinet. His son Conrad Sangma, is the Leader of the Opposition in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.^[8]

Notable quotes

"Adventurism is easy, but restraint is far more difficult." - Against nuclear weapons in Lok Sabha debate
"Do you want to kill the whole world nine times? Do you want to kill the whole world 13 times? And, how can you kill a person a second time?" - Against nuclear weapons in Lok Sabha debate

References

^ "List Of Members Of The Eight Meghalaya Legislative Assembly". Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Official website.
^ http://www.maratechnology.com/p-a-sangma-biography-who-is-p-a-sangma/
^ "CWC expels threesome for six years". Rediff.com, May 20 1999.
^ "National Congress Party Origins". NCP official website, retrieved May 21, 2012.
^ "BJP supports Sangma after division in NDA". 21 June 2012.
^ "Sangma withdraws himself from presidential race, seeks consensus for Abdual Kalam". Headlines today. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
^ "I have quit NCP, will contest presidential polls: PA Sangma". 20 June 2012.
^ Sangma meets Sonia, first time in a decade The Times of India, June 2, 2009.

External links

Biography - From Lok Sabha Speakers' official site
P. A. Sangma: Fourteenth Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile
XII LOK SABHA DEBATES - Sangma's famous debate against nuclear weapons
Interview with Sangma by Rediff on NCP split up