SHILLONG: Like in the case of former Congress legislator from Ranikor M.M Danggo, who resigned on June 21, there was an element of surprise in the resignation of South Tura legislator Agatha Sangma on Monday.
The difference was that unlike Danggo, Agatha personally presented her resignation letter to Deputy Speaker Timothy Shira.
Media persons were not informed about the resignation as only a related photo was posted in the CMO WhatsApp group.
Earlier, when Danggo resigned, media persons waited in vain at the Assembly Secretariat and it was late in the evening when he sent his resignation letter to the deputy speaker through a messenger.
While Danggo’s resignation letter was accepted by the Speaker in Kolkata, Agatha’s letter was accepted by the Speaker on Monday evening at his residence after his return from Sohra.
When contacted, Agatha said she had asked a journalist to circulate the information related to her resignation.
The Assembly Secretariat was not given prior information about the resignation.
Asked about the suspense over the resignation, the deputy speaker, who received the resignation letter, said after his return from the office, when he was in his room at MLA hostel around 3 pm, he received the information from North Tura legislator Thomas Sangma about Agatha’s plan to resign as MLA on Monday.
“I had to go back to the office and I received the resignation letter around 3.30 pm,” Shira said.
According to Shira, as far as Danggo is concerned, he did not want to face the media and hence sent the resignation letter through a messenger.
“Agatha is moderate and she did not want to project herself in the media. That may be the reason why she avoided the media,” Shira said.