Meghalaya polls: Sangmas are on a roll

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma has fielded both his sons in the March 3 Meghalaya Assembly elections from two constituencies in his strong bastion in Garo Hills areas of the hill state.

The three Sangmas from the NCP in the fray have formed a formidable force for the party in Garo Hills areas that have sent the senior Sangma to Lok Sabha for record 10 times.

P A Sangma  and both his sons, James K Sangma and Conrad K Sangma,  are contesting polls from three different constituencies in Garo Hills areas. His elder son, James is contesting from Rongchugiri, while the younger son Conrad is fighting from Selsella. The senior Sangma is contesting from Tura constituency.

The father-sons combination of the NCP has remained at the spot light since they had filed their nominations at the same time at Tura on February 14

last. The former Lok Sabha Speaker who is staging a come back to the state politics after a long gap, has chosen to take both his sons along in his new chapter in Meghalaya state politics.

The veteran politician who had a mark in national politics is seriously eyeing the state chief minister's post as the NCP hopes to cash in on the leadership crisis that has been a bane for the rival Congress in the hill state.

The day he filed his nomination papers, a confident P A Sangma made it clear that for him there was no plan to go back to the national politics and was all geared up to provide leadership to his home state.

The NCP, the key Opposition, is all charged up under P A Sangma to take on the main rival, the ruling Congress. The NCP aims to win most of seats in P A Sangma's stronghold in Garo hills.