Undeterred by appeals and veiled warning from his Nationalist Congress Party, the former Lok Sabha Speaker, P.A. Sangma, is no mood to pull out of the race for President. “I have appealed to the Trinamool Congress chief [Mamata Banerjee] to support my candidature. She was insisting on Mr. Kalam. I said Mr. Kalam had opted out of the race.”
Asked about his party chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s appeal to him to withdraw his candidature, Mr. Sangma said he would appeal to Mr. Pawar to back his candidature.
Mr. Pawar said NCP leader D.P. Tripathy had conveyed to Mr. Sangma the party's view that he should not press for his candidature. “We have called a meeting for June 21 on the Presidential issue.”
(According to a PTI report, Mr. Pawar has even threatened action against Mr. Sangma if he persisted.)
Mr. Pawar pointed out that he, along with Praful Patel and Mr. Sangma’s daughter Agatha, represented the party at the Centre.
Asked whether he was defying the party’s stand, Mr. Sangma said: “I have maintained, right from the beginning, that I am a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, which has nothing to with any political party.”
Keywords: P.A. Sangma, Presidential elections, NDA, Trinamool Congress
I rather find it amusing and irony for jay to make such comments because he ignore the fact that mukherjee had ask for the support of mulayamji,didi and the left..isn't that what we call canvassing for himself..why one rule for mukherjee and a different one for sangma..simply because the later is the tribal and hence third class citizen? shame on you ..you have contempt against the tribal.
The President of India should be non-political background and having special qualification.
The UPA regime is in the verge of defeat in the next election for their incompetence to rule India democratically and eliminate corruption. Hence, the Congress is trying hard to have a congress guy as a President. What a mess!
There is nothing wrong in Sangma canvassing for himself. He is definitely better than those presidents who never canvassed themselves but were ready to sweep the floor for their political masters. In a democracy you have to 'communicate' and canvassing - either in person or through your network - is a part of it. Sangma was a good speaker and he has the potential (if not the stature and resources) to be a good president. He may not be a statesman but he is independent and politically conscientious individual unlike some of our past presidents.
Mr Sangma, a person of noble characteristics par excellence deserves to be nominated for the high office of President. Apart from being a son of the soil, he represents the tribal section of the land which certainly is an additional factor in his favour. His stint as President of the Lok Sabha was one of remarkable success. Unfortunately, one must admit that the north -eastern part of our county has not received adequate attention in matters of development and infrastructure and the visits of our Netajis to that vulnerable area are few and far between. They can only think in terms of foreign jaunts at the drop of a hat under some pretext or other . In this context Mr Sangma hailing from the eastern area is a fit candidate for the office of President whose nomination, the nation should wholeheartedly endorse.
It is pathetic the President of India is to canavs like any other politician when Indian President has been historically been a non-political appointment. They have been people with impeccable credintials and with exceptanal qualification of the order of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Radhakrishnan, and the like. It has deteriorated to people like Mrs. Patil and now to new lows -Mr. Sangama! Where is India going? Such degeneration!
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