My daughters named after Agatha Christie: Sangma

Opposition Presidential candidate P A Sangma on Sunday said his two daughters, Christie and Agatha, were named after prominent British novelist Agatha Christie, whose book was presented to him by the then Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.

"I named my two daughters after Agatha Christie. Biju Patnaik had presented me with a Agatha Christe book when I met him for the first time in 1977," Sangma told a gathering of Biju Janata Dal members of Legislative Assembly and members of Parliament during his campaign trail in Odisha.

Sangma said he admired Biju Patnaik who was a friend of young MPs then. "I also admire Naveen. He too has the same courage," Sangma said.

While Sangma's younger daughter Agatha is the minister of state for rural development, his elder daughter Christie is a non-political person. Of his two sons, Conrad Sangma is the leader of Opposition in Meghalaya Assembly.

Naveen Patnaik's father Biju Patnaik had named Indonesia's president Megawati Sukarnoputri.

President Sukarno had requested Biju Patnaik to name his daughter who was born after the Patnaik, in his capacity as a fighter pilot, had rescued the Sukarno family in stormy weather and flew them to safety demonstrating extraordinary bravery.