TURA: Former minister and legislator Admiral K Sangma has passed away at his native place in Purakhasia early Saturday morning. He is the uncle of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
A cancer survivor, Late Admiral Sangma had been beset with a heart condition and was admitted to the intensive Care unit of Tura civil hospital, last week. With no sign of improvement he was taken by his family back to his home in Babelapara in Purakhasia where he breathed his last.
Both, Admiral K Sangma and Gopinath K Sangma were elder brothers of Soradini K Sangma, wife of Late P A Sangma.
His political career spanned more than a decade and began with the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council where he was first elected as an MDC from Babelapara constituency of Purakhasia.
Later, he along with his elder brother Gopinath K Sangma went on to become legislators and ministers in successive Congress governments.
Admiral was elected as a legislator to the Meghalaya Assembly for two straight consecutive times in 1993 and 1998.
He held several portfolios including minister of PWD, Agriculture, Soil Conservation, among others.
During his ministerial tenure and under guidance of Late P A Sangma Gambegre became a development block.
When P A Sangma formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar following their expulsion from the Congress Admiral joined hands with his brother-in-law along with several other Congress legislators in the state.
He was defeated from the new Gambegre assembly constituency by Congress candidate and current legislator Saleng A Sangma in 2008