Tura, March 19: Former Lok Sabha speaker, National People’s Party (NPP) president, Purno A Sangma will formally start its campaign for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in Garo hills tommorow.
Sangma will address an election rally at Adokgre in North Garo Hills, which borders Assam’s Goalpara district.
This will be Sangma’s first rally for the Tura parliamentary seat, won by him for eight consecutive terms, since 1977.
Sangma said, “Leaders from different political parties, even those from the Congress, requested me to return to national politics to contribute in the parliament. However, I decided to take it, as people in Garo hills felt the need of my representation as situation in Garo hills has become worse”.
“I feel that my return will help Garo hills immensely, I will draw up a action plan for the next five years”, he said.
On his failure to develop Garo hills, Sangma said, “If you draw a comparision of the present situation and 30 years ago, you will surely understand, what has been done over the years in Garo hills”.
Sangma who has authored a book recently titled — Talatani, which means clarification talks about his contribution towards Garo hills.
The NPP’s main poll plank is rising insurgency in Garo hills. Sangma said, “The situation is alarming because government have failed to deal with it. It is indeed a matter of concern. NPP will continue to intervene”.
Sangma returns to active national politics, after a gap of six and half years.
He decided to quit as MP in 2008 to contest the assembly election and paved way for her daughter, Agatha Sangma to represent Tura.
Agatha Sangma won the 2008 by-election and 2009 Lok Sabha election on a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ticket. She resigned from NCP last week to join her father’s party.
Tura Lok Sabha seat is considered a ‘Purno stronghold’.
In 2013 assembly election, Sangma’s NPP managed to won just 2 seats. The Congress party won 29 seats in the 60 member house. In Garo hills, Congress won 13 seats, out of 24. Five independents who won from Garo hills joined the Congress.(SP News)
Purno Sangma is pitted against a new entrant in politics — Daryl William Momin of the Congress. Momin is grandson of Meghalaya’s first chief minister, Williamson Sangma.
It is a straight fight for Tura seat between a veteran and a young politics.
Purno Sangma and Daryl William will file their nomination on March 21 at Tura.
