Journey of a political party : National People's Party
- Part 1 -

Dr Kh Gourachandra Singh *

Who is P.A. Sangma in Indian Politics?

Shri P.A. Sangma (Purno Agitok Sangma) was born on 1st September, 1947 as the son of Diphou Ch Marak and Chimeri A Sangma at Cha-phati village, West Garo Hills, Meghalaya.

After graduation from St Anthony College, Shillong, he took MA degree in Political Science and LLB from Dibrugarh University, Assam. His wife's name is Soradini K Sangma. Both his 2 (two) sons, Conrad Konkal Sangma and James Pangsang Konkal Sangma are at present MLAs of 8th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

Conrad K Sangma is the Opposition leader too. PA Sangma's only daughter, Agatha Konkal Sangma, an elected MP from Tura Parliamentary Constituency, was in the UPA II as State Minister in charge of Rural Development Department from 28th May 2009 to 27th October 2012 on NCP Quota in the Government of Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Shri PA Sangma worked as a journalist for sometime. He edited a local daily called Chandambeni Kalrang in Meghalaya. In 1973 Shri PA Sangma joined active politics and became vice president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress Committee. Then in 1974 he became General Secretary of the Youth Congress Committee.

During the period from 1975-80 PA Sangma worked as the General Secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (I). In 1977 he was elected MP for the first time on Congress (I) ticket from Tura Parliamentary Constituency to the 6th Lok Sabha. It was a time when Congress(I) was facing a critical situation in India. In those days of strong movements of Janata Party, PA Sangma got the chance to expose his oratory skill even though he was elected for the first time. The Janata Government did not last for a fairly long time. So he could return a second time as an MP to the 7th Lok Sabha. By this time he was Joint Secretary of the AICC.

Under the Prime Ministership of Mrs Indira Gandhi Shri PA Sangma was Union Deputy Minister of Industry, 1980-82 and Union Deputy Minister of Commerce, 1982-84. In 1984 he was elected MP to the 8th Lok Sabha for a 3rd term. He was Union Minister of State for Commerce and Civil Supply in 1985 (January to March) and from March to September the same year he was State Minister for Commerce. In 1985-86 he was Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and in 1986-88 he was Union Minister of State, Independent charge for Labour.

In 1990-91 he was a member of the Meghalaya State Assembly. From 6th February, 1988 to 25th March 1990 he was the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. In 1990-91 he was the Opposition leader.

In 1991 he was re-elected MP to the 10th Lok Sabha for the 4th term. He became Union Minister of State, Independent charge for Coal in 1991-93. In 1993-95 he worked as Union Minister of State, Independent charge for Labour.

Then from Feb 1995 to Sept 1995 he became Union Cabinet Minister for Labour.

In 1995-96 he became Union Cabinet Minister for Information and Broadcasting.

In 1996 he was re-elected MP to the 11th Lok Sabha for the 5th term and became Lok Sabha Speaker from 25th May 1996 to 23rd March, 1998. By this time he worked as chairman for 5 different Parliamentary Committees.

In 1998 he was re-elected to the 12th Lok Sabha for the 6th term. He worked as member on Committee on External Affairs and its sub- committee. Again in 1999 he was re-elected to the 13th Lok Sabha for the 7th term on Congress (I) ticket.

After sometime due to the difference of opinion regarding the foreign origin issue of Smt Sonia Gandhi Shri PA Sangma, Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar were expelled from Congress Working Committee and Congress Party on May 20, 1999.

Then the three of them formed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on May 25, 1999. SharadPawar became the first President while PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar became the first General Secretaries. But after some time in January 2004 he resigned from NCP and joined AITC of Mamata Banerjee. This is because of the reason that Sharad Pawar became closer to Sonia Gandhi.

Then Sangma was elected MP to the 14th Lok Sabha for the 8th term in 2004. This time he was M.P. of AITC.

But on 10- 10 -2005 he resigned from Trinamool Congress and even from MP and returned to NCP.

In the bye-election of Feb 23, 2006 he again returned to the Lok Sabha for the 9th term from the Tura P/C. By resigning as MP in March 2008 he became a candidate for Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. In his place his daughter was made to be elected MP in the bye-election of 25-5-2008 from Tura P/C.

PA Sangma won the 8th Meghalaya Asembly Election of 2008 from West Garo Hills Constituency. This was his second Assembly term as he also won in the 4th Meghalaya Assembly Election of 1988. Though he was NCP MLA he wanted to contest the 13th Presidential Election of India. But as his Party NCP was an ally of the UPA, the NCP chief Mr Sharad Pawar clearly declared that NCP would not support him. Really it supported UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee. So PA Sangma resigned from NCP on June 20, 2012 and he also resigned as an MLA too.

Thus he contested against Pranab Mukherjee of Congress (I) in the July 19 Presi- dential Election. Shri PA Sangma was supported by AIADMK chief and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalitha and Orissa CM and BJD chief Mr. Naveen Patnaik. BJP also supported. But there was no consensus within NDA. Some of the NDA partners voted for UPA candidate.

In the Presidential election PA Sangma got defeated by securing 3,17,032 vote values only while Pranab Mukherjee won by securing 7,13,429 vote values. Shri Sangma made strong campaign in the name of Tribal Forum of India. For the first time in his life PA Sangma got defeated in this Presidential Election. Already he was elected MP 9 times to the Lok Sabha from Tura P/C and MLA 2 times in Meghalaya Assembly. He worked as Minister during the Government of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao. During the Prime Ministership of Rajiv Gandhi he became Chief Minister of Meghalaya from Feb 6, 1988 to 26th March 1990.

It was during the regime of Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee that Shri Sangma became popular in national politics. He was elected Lok Sabha Speaker on 23rd May 1996 and held this position, even after the toppling of the BJP Government, upto 23rd March 1998. Shri Sangma belonged to Congress (I) the then Opposition party. Shri Sangma was the first Lok Sabha Speaker from the Opposition party. He was declared elected uncontested by both the Opposition and Ruling on a consensus.

After withdrawal from NCP and getting defeated in the Presidential Election Sangma wanted to groom a new political party. Ultimately instead of forming a new party he along with Meghalaya State NCP office bearers: President WR Kharlukhi, and other office bearers and also 12 MLAs joined the National People Party (NPP) which existed since 1989 and produced MLAs in the 5th Manipur Legislative Assembly of 1990 on 24th August 2012.

It may be remembered that NCP could win in 15 Assembly seats in the 60 member Meghalaya State Assembly in the 8th Assembly Election of 2008 when it contested in 50 A/C. PA Sangma and his two sons were also included among the 15 MLAs. On the eve of the Indian Presidential Election PA Sangma resigned as MLA and so the number of MLAs was reduced to 14 only and of which 2 are still not members of NPP. The two are – the present Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai and Adolf Lu-Hitler Marak who is suspen- ded from the party. (Now he has joined Congress Party and will be a candidate of Congress (I) in the forthcoming Feb, 23 Assembly Election 2013).

Through the skillful strategy of PA Sangma the lone Rajya Sabha MP of Meghalaya was won by Thomas Sangma of NCP in 2008. He is not now following PA Sangma and not joining NPP. His term as MP will expire in 2014. Because of Shri PA Sangma during the 5 year term of 14th Lok Sabha there were three elections in the Tura Parliamentary Constituency.

After the death of Mason Song Sangma, NPP MLA from South Garo Hills Chokpot(ST) Constituency on 18-9-2012 the number of NPP MLAs was reduced to 11 only. When PA Sangma and other leaders of NCP were merged with NPP in Shillong on 24-8-2012, President, NPP Manipur Unit Shri V Hangkhalian took an important role. The function for the merger was celebrated in his own presence. It may be remembered that in the long political career of PA Sangma all the popular positions held by him were when he was in the Congress (I) party. Shri P.A.Sangma was elected as the National President (NPP) by the Party General Assembly on 15-9-2012 without any contest. The symbol of this party is book. This meeting was held at Imphal.

Shri PA Sangma's political destiny will be decided after the term of the current and 8th Meghalaya State Assembly which started on 11-03-2008 and will expire on 10-3-2013.

Let us see what role will be taken by the NPP under the tactful and strategic leadership of PA Sangma in the ensuing 9th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Election that will be held on Feb. 23, 2013. Before he left NCP many of the names of candidates to be contested in this election have been already announced as NCP candidates. But now they have become NPP. At present there is Congress (I) Government in Meghalaya under the leadership of Dr. Mukul Sangma.

To be continued....