Former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma sent his resignation from the NCP on Wednesday to party chief Sharad Pawar soon after Dr Subramanian Swamy, whose Janata Party is a constituent of the NDA, met him, apparently to pledge support.
“I hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of NCP with immediate effect. I place on record my deep gratitude to the president, other office-bearers and rank and file of NCP for the courtesies extended to me by them at the personal level while I was a member of the party,” his resignation letter read.
In a statement, Mr Sangma said he had “no option but to resign” from the NCP “without any personal intent whatsoever of embarrassing the party and its leadership”. Talking about the circumstances in which he had to quit, the 64-year-old leader said, “Disinclination of the NCP to endorse my candidature amounts to a denial of the aspirations of the tribals of the country.” He noted that his candidature had been projected by the Tribal Forum of India and he could not “ignore the feeling of the tribals that Raisina Hill should not continue to be a distant dream for them”.
Mr Sangma, who has played the tribal card, had fought the 2004 Lok Sabha election with the NDA. “I have accepted P.A. Sangma’s resignation with immediate effect,” Mr Pawar said, adding that the NCP would inform the Meghalaya Assembly Speaker about Mr Sangma’s resignation from the party. Mr Sangma is an MLA in Meghalaya. But his resignation could have an impact on the continuance of his daughter Agatha, minister of state for rural development, in the government, as the NCP was unhappy about the move and suggested he had gone back on his promise.
Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi said his party would give no advice to the NCP on what to do with Ms Agatha Sangma, who had earned the ire of her party by campaigning for her father. NCP sources said, “If she (Ms Sangma) campaigns, we will have no option but to show her the door.” She is a member of the Lok Sabha from Tura, a seat represented by her father several times.
NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi, regretted that Mr Sangma’s resignation, said, “It is unfortunate that Sangma has gone back on his word. Ten days ago he had assured Pawar in my presence, and that of Tariq Anwar and Agatha Sangma, that he would abide by the party decision on the issue of the presidential poll,” he said.
Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy met Mr Sangma and claimed consensus in the NDA over Mr Sangama’s candidature; their meeting took place just before the latter made public his resignation from the NCP. Mr Swamy, an NDA ally, said he met Mr Sangma and the latter told him he was not backing off from the presidential race. “Sangma is a candidate of Jayalalithaa and Naveen Patnaik, and the only question that remains is whether the NDA will back him. A final decision will be taken at the NDA meeting. I can only say consensus is in favour of supporting the candidate of Jayalalithaa and Patnaik,” Mr Swamy told reporters.
Dr Swamy claimed Mr Sangma was “unhappy” with the NCP and the Congress and felt he was insulted because he is from the Northeast and a tribal. He wanted to protect his self-respect, Dr Swamy said. The Janata Party leader had earlier tried to get former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to enter the fray on behalf of the NDA.