By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Even though Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) stalwart and its founder member Purno A Sangma has resigned from the party leadership, the state units and committees of the party will continue.
This decision was taken at the internal meeting of the NCP which was attended by all the party MLAs and district presidents, here on Saturday evening.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, NCP leader Conrad Sangma said that the NCP chief Sharad Pawar has also made it clear that Agatha Sangma, Union Minister of State for Rural Development will also continue as minister in the UPA government.
This has set to rest all speculations that Agatha Sangma may be shown the door after Purno Sangma resigned from the party since he was not backed by Sharad Pawar for his candidature for the presidential post. Also there were murmurs that the campaign for Sangma was taking place from his daughter’s residence.
“Pawar has told us that no action will be taken against Agatha Sangma since she has done nothing wrong,” Conrad told reporters.
However, the Union minister has been barred from
campaigning for her father.
According to Conrad Sangma, some disgruntled Congress legislators from the State have assured that they would vote for Purno Sangma in the presidential poll scheduled to take place next month.
“Some Congress leaders told me that they would support Purno Sangma. There are many others who are silently supporting him,” Conrad said adding that Purno too is in touch with all parties and dissident leaders of the Congress “who have themselves called him up.”
The NCP MLA also took a dig at the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma for his recent statements against the candidature of Purno Sangma.
“The Chief Minister’s statement shows the disrespect he has for the cause of tribals, the people of the state and the Christians,” he said while adding that Dr Sangma has failed to respect the sentiments of the people of Garo Hills.
The Chief Minister had termed the resignation of Purno Sangma as an act of desperation and had also criticized the Tura legislator for not doing enough for his own constituency and the entire Garo Hills during his long political innings.
Purno Sangma has received a major boost to his candidature after the main opposition party BJP affirmed its support to the former Lok Sabha Speaker.
Conrad said that the resignation of Purno Sangma from the NCP is a big loss for the State unit as a whole as he is the mentor of the party.