P. A. Sangma

P. A. Sangma
MP
In office 1977-1989, May 1991 - May 2009
Preceded by	Sanford Marak
Succeeded by	Agatha Sangma
Constituency	Tura
Chief Minister of Meghalaya
In office Feb 6, 1988 - March 25, 1990
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
In office 1995-96
Speaker of the Lok Sabha
In office May 25, 1996 - March 23, 1998
Personal details
Born	1 September 1947 (1947-09-01) (age 64) West Garo Hills, Meghalaya
Political party	NCP
Spouse(s)	Soradini K. Sangma
Children	2 sons and 2 daughter
Residence	West Garo Hills
Religion	Roman Catholic

Purno Agitok Sangma (born September 1, 1947, Meghalaya, India) is an Indian politician. He is a former Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chief Minister of Meghalaya. He was a co-founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and remained a member of the Lok Sabha for eight terms, i.e. 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Lok Sabha. Currently he represents the Tura (ST) constituency in the West Garo Hills district in the eighth Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.^[1]

Early life and education

P. A. Sangma was born on 1 September 1947 in village Chapathi in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya to Dipchon Ch. Marak and Smt. Chimri A. Sangma.

After completing his graduation in (B.A. (Hons.) from St. Anthony's College, Shillong, he went to Dibrugarh University in Assam for his Masters degree in International Relations. Subsequently, he also obtained a degree in Law (LL.B).

Career

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 from Tura (Lok Sabha constituency) and remained a member of the Lok Sabha till 14th Lok Sabha, 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 Lok Sabha.

He was one of the founders of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar in 1999, after they expelled from Congress.^[2] In January 2004, P.A.Sangma created a split in the NCP. This happened after Sharad Pawar became close to the NCP's former rival 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. He resigned from his Lok Sabha seat on October 10, 2005 as a member of All India Trinamool Congress, and was reelected as NCP. candidate on February 2006.

In the Lok Sabha elections 2004 Sangma was one of two NTC MPs elected. He resigned from 14th Lok Sabha in March 2008, to take part in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly election, 2008

As of now (2009), Sangma is back in the NCP and serves as the NCP General Secretary.

Cabinet positions held

• 1991-93 - Union Minister of State, Coal (Independent Charge)
• 1993-95 - Union Minister of State, Labour (Independent Charge)
• Feb.-Sept. 1995 - Union Minister of State, Labour
• 1995-96 - Union Cabinet Minister of Information and Broadcasting

Personal life

Sangma's daughter Agatha Sangma was elected in the same constituency in the 15th Lok Sabha elections, and is also the youngest Minister of State in the current Cabinet. His son Conrad Sangma, is the Leader of the Opposition in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.^[3]

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

References

1. ^ "List Of Members Of The Eight Meghalaya Legislative Assembly". Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Official website. http://megassembly.gov.in/List%20of%20Candidate.htm. 
2. ^ NCP general secretary was expelled from the Congress on May 20, 1999, along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar for raising the banner of revolt against Gandhi over her foreign origin issue.
3. ^ Sangma meets Sonia, first time in a decade The Times of India, June 2, 2009.

External links

• Biography - From Lok Sabha Speakers' official site
• XII LOK SABHA DEBATES - Sangma's famous debate against nuclear weapons
• Interview with Sangma by Rediff on NCP split up

See also

• Politics of India
• Nuclear disarmament

Preceded by Shivraj Patil

Speaker of Lok Sabha 1996–1998

Succeeded by G. M. C. Balayogi

Persondata
Name	Sangma, P.A.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 1, 1947
Place of birth	West Garo Hills, Meghalaya
Date of death
Place of death