The Nationalist Congress Party would not ally with the Congress in the north-east for the Lok Sabha polls, its senior leader Purno Agitok Sangma said in Shillong on Monday.
A meeting of the Nationalist Congress Party parliamentary board took place on Thursday evening to discuss the Presidential poll but Union Minister Agatha Sangma was conspicuous by her absence.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party supporting P A Sangma in the Presidential race, the Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday regretted that he has become the nominee of "communal forces" in a contest in which UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee will have a "decisive victory".
After division in the National Democratic Alliance ranks, the Bharatiya Janata Party and some other allies appeared set to back P A Sangma, who quit the Nationalist Congress Party, ignoring its direction not to contest the Presidential poll against United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee.
Agatha Sangma, who had campaigned for her father P A Sangma in the Presidential polls, on Monday offered to quit as minister of state for rural development.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who backed United Progressive Alliance Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee, on Thursday mistakenly cast his vote in favour of BJP-backed P A Sangma, but realised it in time and took remedial steps.
Presidential candidate P A Sangma on Wednesday said he had no grudge against Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for supporting his rival Pranab Mukherjee stating all parties have their own "compulsions and calculations".
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma who is now out of the Nationalist Congress Party has formed Nationalist People's Party, a new political party in Meghalaya to contest the next round of Assembly elections in the northeastern hill State in early 2013.
Ruling out withdrawal from the Presidential fray, the Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma on Monday said if necessary he would contest as an Independent and "not let down" Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who have backed him.
Voting was underway on Friday in 102 Lok Sabha seats spread across 21 states and Union territories in the first of the seven phases of the world's largest electoral exercise, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers.
Former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma's daughter Agatha Kongkhal will be the Nationalist Congress Party candidate for the May 22 by-election to Meghalaya's Tura Lok Sabha seat. Sangma has never lost from the Tura parliamentary seat since 1977, even though he changed his party affiliation from the Congress to the Trinamool Congress and then to the NCP.A law graduate registered with the Delhi Bar Council, Agatha has a string of degrees.
Sharpening his attack on United Progressive Alliance rival Pranab Mukherjee, Opposition-backed Presidential nominee P A Sangma on Tuesday said Rashtrapati Bhavan was being used as a "dumping ground" for the "failed" former finance minister.
Ignoring advice from his party, Nationalist Congress Party leader PA Sangma on Friday said he continues to be in the fray for the presidential election as a tribal candidate
With P A Sangma insisting on contesting the Presidential poll, the ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha, which was the first to moot his name, on Saturday said there was no change in its decision to back him.
Sarma, who heads the Bharatiya Janata Party-led North East Development Alliance (NEDA), met Sangma at a hotel in Guwahati on Tuesday night, they said.
P A Sangma, former speaker and a candidate for the President's post, on Monday expressed hope that the Election Commission was aware of the fact that United Progressive Alliance's candidate Pranab Mukherjee held an office of profit while filing his nomination for the post.
P A Sangma, former speaker and a candidate for the President's post, on Monday expressed hope that the Election Commission was aware of the fact that United Progressive Alliance's candidate Pranab Mukherjee held an office of profit while filing his nomination for the post.
Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Agatha Sangma, the youngest minister in the United Progressive Alliance government, said on Sunday that her father and Nationalist Congress Party leader Parno A Sangma no longer had any issue with Congress president Sonia Gandhi over her foreign origins.
Marak had laid down arms in 2014 and disbanded the ANVC-B militant group.
As the two parliamentary constituencies in Meghalaya, Tura and Shillong go to polls on Wednesday, the glare will be on Tura constituency where former Lok Sabha Speaker and eight-time Lok Sabha member Purno A Sangma, 66, of the National People's Party is fighting the most crucial election in his life against Congress greenhorn Daryl Williams Ch Momin, 27, in a straight contest.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has designated party general secretary Ananth Kumar and senior leader S S Ahluwalia to assist P A Sangma in the Presidential election management.
According to sources, the Tamil Nadu chief minister, in a telephone conversation with veteran BJP leader L K Advani on Wednesday, reportedly said that Sangma should withdraw from the presidential race after filing his nomination.
Pinning hopes on "conscience vote" and his tribal identity, P A Sangma on Friday virtually dared United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee for a debate ahead of Presidential polls, saying democracy needs debate.
Reconciling with division within the National Democratic Alliance over Presidential poll, Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday announced its support to P A Sangma to pit him against United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee.
Even before P A Sangma filed an election petition in the Supreme Court challenging Pranab Mukherjee's election as President, Mukherjee filed a caveat on Tuesday seeking a copy of the petition against him.
Dr Mukul Sangma on Tuesday took oath as the chief minister of Meghalaya, replacing veteran Congress leader D D Lapang, who quit as the Congress Legislative Party leader on Monday night after losing the support of 21 of the Congress' 28 Members of Legislative Assembly in the 60-member state assembly.Governor Ranjit Sekhar Musahary administered the oath of office to Dr Sangma and three other cabinet ministers at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan in Shillong today afternoon.
National Democratic Alliance backed Presidential candidate P A Sangma on Wednesday said that the Presidential elections were not held on party lines and every body has a right to vote according to their conscience.
The Sharad Pawar and P A Sangma factions of the Nationalist Congress Party on Friday crossed swords before the \n\nElection Commission, both laying claim to the party symbol -- a clock.
In an interview to CNN-IBN, veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee talks about being chosen as the United Progressive Alliance's candidate for the President's post, his equation with party president Sonia Gandhi and why he will not participate in a debate against rival P A Sangma
Lauding A P J Abdul Kalam for withdrawing from the Presidential race, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday said it wanted the "conscience" of the other presidential hopeful, P A Sangma, to also awaken. "Kalam has pulled out after listening to his conscience. We thank his conscience for that. We hope that Purno Sangma's conscience too awakens. About those who are pretending to sleep, the less said the better," the editorial in party's mouthpiece Saamna said on Wednesday.
A meeting of Nationalist Congress Party office bearers will be held in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the coming Presidential poll as the party leader P A Sangma faces possible disciplinary action for remaining in the race going against the party directive.
Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik on Monday reiterated his party's support to former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma even as former president A P J Abdul Kalam expressed his unwillingness to contest the presidential poll.
Here's how our netas fared in the elections.
Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, who is being backed by the Biju Janata Dal and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for the President's post, on Tuesday sought to reach out to political parties, saying he hoped they will respond "to the call of conscience of the tribal people of the nation."
In the morning, he offered prayers at the Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Kaal Bhairav temple in Varanasi.
The exit polls further pointed out that the northeastern state would have a hung house, with Sangma's National People's Party (NPP) emerging as the single-largest party.
Sarma added that the oath-taking ceremony would take place on March 6.
Tamil Nadu Jayalalitha will introduce former Lok Sabha speaker and Presidential candidate PA Sangma to Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislators in Chennai on July 18.
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