Who is P. A. Sangma?

Purno Agitok Sangma
Speaker of the Lok Sabha
In office 25 May 1996 – 23 March 1998
Preceded by	Shivraj Patil
Succeeded by	Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi
Chief Minister of Meghalaya
In office 6 February 1988 – 25 March 1990
Governor	Bhishma Narain Singh Hari Dev Joshi Abubakar Abdul Rahim
Preceded by	Williamson Sangma
Succeeded by	Brington Buhai Lyngdoh
Personal details
Born	1 September 1947 (age 64) Chapathi, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Alma mater	St. Anthony's College, Shillong Dibrugarh University

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.

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 until 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 until 1996 when he became Speaker of Lok Sabha.

The 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 Sonia Gandhi over her foreign origin issue.[3] He was one of the founders of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar in 1999, after their explusion.[4] 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

Sangma resigned from NCP on June 20th, 2012 after opposition from Sharad Pawar over his Presidential candidature. It is to be seen how a founder member's resignation is taken by NCP as founder member. Sangma whose candidature has been proposed by AIADMK, and BJD and now, supported by BJP as well, will be contesting against Pranab Mukherjee for the post of the President.

Positions held

• 1974 - Vice President of Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress
• 1975 - The General Secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee
• 1977 - Member of Parliament, Tura constituency
• 1980 - Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee
• 1980 - Deputy Minister in charge of Industry
• 1982 - Deputy Minister, Ministry of Commerce
• 1984 - Re-elected, Member of Parliament, Tura constituency
• 1984 - Minister of State holding charge of Commerce and Supply
• 1984 - Minister of State for Home Affairs
• 1986 - Minister of State for Labour with Independent Charge
• 1988 - Chief Minister of Meghalaya
• 1990 - Leader of Opposition, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly
• 1991 - Re-elected, Member of Parliament, Tura constituency
• 1991-93 - Union Minister of State, Coal (Independent Charge)
• 1993-95 - Union Minister of State, Labour (Independent Charge)
• February–September 1995 - Union Minister of State, Labour
• 1995-96 - Union Cabinet Minister of Information and Broadcasting
• 1996 - Re-elected, Member of Parliament, Tura constituency
• 1996-98 - Speaker of Lok Sabha
• 1998 - Re-elected, Member of Parliament, Tura constituency
• 1999 - Re-elected, Member of Parliament, Tura constituency
• 2004 - Re-elected, Member of Parliament, Tura constituency

Personal life

Sangma's daughter Agatha Sangma was elected in the same constituency in the 15th Lok Sabhaelections, 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.^[8]