Sangma meets Jaya amid talk of tribal for President

Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma on Tuesday met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief J Jayalalithaa against the backdrop of him favouring a tribal candidate as the next President.

Sangma and his daughter Agatha Sangma, who is minister of state for rural development, met Jayalalithaa at the state secretariat.

Though the visit was described as a "courtesy call", it assumes significance as the Nationalist Congress Party leader has pitched for a tribal candidate to be fielded in the coming presidential poll.

The member of Parliament from Meghalaya had recently said that even after 60 years of India becoming a republic, no tribal had become the President.