Former speaker of Lok Sabha P A Sangma, who is in the fray for the Presidential poll, on Wednesday resigned from the Nationalist Congress Party.NCP chief Sharad Pawar had urged Sangma to withdraw from the contest, after the ruling United Progressive Alliance unanimously nominated senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee as it its candidate for the President's post.
Former Lok Sabha speaker and Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma met Bharatiya Janata Party veteran Lal Krishna Advani in New Delhi on Friday to seek support for his candidature for the coveted post of President of India.
NCP spokesman D P Tripathi said Sangma would also be attending the party's National Convention, which will be held in Surat on June 10.
Banking on the tribal population in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the P A Sangma-led Nationalist People's Party on Friday said it would contest in the assembly elections of the two states to be held later this year.
Jesuralem is one of the international destinations for Christians in Meghalaya for its religious importance.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma has strongly advocated creation of Telangana and Vidarbha states and said the Centre should forthwith grant statehood to these two regions owing to the long pending demand.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa on Thursday joined hands with her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in backing former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma for the President's post. However, the Nationalist Congress Party virtually disowned its party leader, Sangma, to enter the Presidential race.
Presidential candidate P A Sangma has written to the Presidential election returning officer seeking a copy of his detailed order rejecting Sangma's objection against the candidature of United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee.
Former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who resigned from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to contest the presidential election against Pranab Mukherjee, formally launched his own political outfit 'National People's Party' (NPP) at a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said he would request his party colleague P A Sangma to withdraw his candidature for the Presidential election and expressed confidence that he (Sangma) would abide by the party stand.
The chairman posed questions before the House, mentioning earlier instances of adjournment in such cases, saying the norm was to adjourn only when a sitting member of the Upper House passed away.
Citing Constitutional and legal provisions, the Election Commission on Tuesday rejected the petition of opposition-backed Presidential nominee P A Sangma camp against United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee's nomination saying the same is not maintainable before it.
Making it clear that it is firmly behind the United Progressive Alliance candidate in the Presidential race, the Nationalist Congress Party has told former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma not to press for his candidature in the polls.
The nomination papers of opposition-backed P A Sangma for the Presidential poll were on Tuesday accepted by the returning officer after scrutiny.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought the responses of Ajit Pawar and his 40 MLAs on a plea moved by the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party challenging Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's decision declaring the group led by the deputy chief minister as the real NCP.
After the presidential poll, Sangma may well realise that 'miracles' and 'conscience' do not really exist, especially in Indian politics, they have long become extinct, says Anirban Ganguly.
Opposition Presidential candidate P A Sangma on Sunday said his two daughters, Christie and Agatha, were named after prominent British novelist Agatha Christie, whose book was presented to him by the then Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
Sangma met YSR Congress honorary president and Jagan's mother Y S Vijaya Lakshmi and other important leaders of the party at her residence here and urged them to support him.
Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday signed on the nomination paper as a proposer for the candidature of former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma in the coming Presidential election.
The Nationalist Congress Party is likely to field former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma's daughter Agatha K Sangma to contest the byelections to the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya. The byelection, scheduled to be held on May 22, has been necessitated after P A Sangma quit the Lok Sabha after being elected as MLA in the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on March 8.
"Sangma is a member of the NCP and its leadership should take note of the statement and take action against him," Bardhan said while replying to a question asked by this rediff.com correspondent at a hurriedly called press conference at Ajay Bhavan in New Delhi. Bardhan lambasted Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram for claiming that 0.04 per cent rise in the inflation amounted to nothing.
Former Lok Sabha speaker and Nationalist Congress Party leader Purno A Sangma on Thursday flayed the Centre's decision to impose President's rule in Nagaland and termed it as a ploy to rig the ensuing assembly election.
Opposition-backed Presidential poll nominee P A Sangma on Monday said he would move the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision to quash the complaint against United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee's nomination papers after the elections.
Describing P A Sangma as a prominent tribal and minority leader, Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said he would accompany the Presidential aspirant during filing of his nomination in Delhi on Thursday. "Sangma is the BJD's candidate. We first announced his name for the top post in mid-May and later other political parties supported him," Patnaik told reporters shortly before leaving for Delhi.
A day after backing former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma's candidature for the presidency, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday asked all parties to 'rise above political considerations,' and support the tribal leader for the top job.'
Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma on Tuesday met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief J Jayalalithaa against the backdrop of him favouring a tribal candidate as the next President
Presidential candidate P A Sangma, who had revised his position on Sonia Gandhi, on Saturday reverted to his original stand that a person of foreign origin should not become prime minister India.
The support for P A Sangma, who is contesting the presidential election, is increasing day by day, claimed his son and Leader of Opposition in the Meghalaya Assembly Conrad K Sangma on Saturday. Conrad, an influential leader of the Nationalist Congress Party in Meghalaya, told reporters at an official meeting of the NCP, "P A Sangma's vote share is increasing and now it is at 30-32 per cent of the total votes."
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed by a majority ruling former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma's petition challenging the election of senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee as President. Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, who led the 3 to 2 majority ruling, held that Sangma's petition is not maintainable for regular hearing.
Winding up his campaign for the Presidential election, National Democratic Alliance candidate P A Sangma on Wednesday met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and thanked her for supporting his candidature for the top post.
The Supreme Court on Thursday began hearing former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma's plea challenging the election of Pranab Mukherjee as President.
Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the election of Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee as the President of India.
Congress tribal leaders led by former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi on Wednesday opposed the candidature of PA Sangma for President, saying the Nationalist Congress Party leader was "playing into the hands of communal forces"
With Pranab Mukherjee winning the race to Raisina Hill, Team Sangma on Sunday once again reiterated that they would move the Supreme Court over the next few days to file an election-related petition against the UPA candidate
The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict for December 5 as to whether the plea of former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, challenging the election of Pranab Mukherjee as president, deserves a "regular hearing" or not.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj on Friday said that Trinamool Congress President and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should rationally extend support to BJP-backed candidate, P A Sangma for the presidential polls.
Asserting that P A Sangma would emerge victorious in the Presidential polls, National Democratic Alliance ally Janata Party National President Subramanian Swamy claimed there would be cross-voting from the Congress in his favour.
With the Biju Janata Dal and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam indicating their preference for P A Sangma as presidential candidate, the Nationalist Congress Party leader on Thursday thanked them saying they have been responsive to the aspirations of tribals and appealed to other parties to support a candidate from the community.
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