P.A. Sangma
|
|
Sangma.jpg
Purno Agitok Sangma (born September 1, 1949/1947, Meghalaya, India) is an Indian politician. He is a former Lok Sabha Speaker. He was a co-founder of the Nationalist Congress Party.
In 1973, he became Vice-President of the Pradesh Youth Congress in Meghalaya and became the General Secretary the next year. He served as the General Secretary of the Pradesh Congress Committee of Meghalaya from 1975 to 1980.
In 1977, he was elected to the 6th Lok Sabha and has been a member of the Lok Sabha since except for the 9th Lok Sabha. From 1980 to 1988, he served the Union Government of India under various capacities. He served as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990. In 1991, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha again, he again served the Union government till 1996 when he became Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
In January 2004, P.A.Sangma created a split in the NCP. This decision seems to happen after Sharad Pawar is becoming close to the NCP's former enemy Sonia Gandhi. After losing a battle for the NCP election symbol, Sangma later merged his faction with Mamta Bannerjee's Trinamool Congress, forming the Nationalist Trinamool Congress.
In the Lok Sabha elections 2004 Sangma was one of two NTC MPs elected.
Notable Quotes
- "Adventurism is easy, but restraint is far more difficult." - Against nuclear weapons in Lok Sabha debate
- "Do you want to kill the whole world nine times? Do you want to kill the whole world 13 times? And, how can you kill a person a second time?" - Against nuclear weapons in Lok Sabha debate
External links
- Biography (http://speakerloksabha.nic.in/raw/SANGMA1.htm) - From Lok Sabha Speakers' official site
- XII LOK SABHA DEBATES (http://www.fas.org/news/india/1998/05/0829059801.htm) - Sangma's famous debate against nuclear weapons
- Interview with Sangma by Rediff on NCP split up (http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/21inter.htm)