Shillong: National People’s Party (NPP) leader Agatha Sangma, who was defeated by Congress leader Saleng Sangma from the Tura Parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha elections, said that she “takes full responsibility for the defeat”.
National People’s Party (NPP), the ruling party in Meghalaya, lost both seats in the state in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.
The defeat of incumbent MP Agatha Sangma from the Tura Lok Sabha seat has come as a surprise to many as the Sangma family had held the MP position in that parliamentary constituency for nearly four decades.
Agatha Sangma is the sister of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and the NPP candidate trailed in the latter’s Assembly constituency as well.
However, Agatha Sangma does not see the defeat as a vote against the current state government led by her brother Conrad Sangma.
In an interview with IANS, she said, “I take full responsibility for this verdict and it doesn’t have to do with the state government.”
Agatha Sangma’s late father, P.A. Sangma represented the Tura seat in the Parliament for a long time. He first won this constituency in 1977 and continued to be a Lok Sabha MP from Tura till 1984.
P.A. Sangma was re-elected on a Congress ticket from Tura in 1991 and in 1999 on the NCP ticket in 1999 and a Trinamool Congress ticket in 2004.
Despite changing parties more than once, the people of Tura stood firm behind P.A. Sangma.
Agatha Sangma became the Lok Sabha MP from Tura constituency for the first time in 2009 and at the age of just 29 years, she was made the youngest Union Minister in the Manmohan Singh-led Cabinet.
Between 2014 and 2024, the Sangma family represented the Tura seat in the Lower House of Parliament.
Agatha Sangma said, “India is a democratic country and people have the right to choose their elected members. This time my constituency voted for the Congress candidate and I accept this verdict to be the will of the people and part of God’s will.”
She was defeated by Congress candidate Saleng Sangma by a margin of more than 1.55 lakh votes.
Agatha Sangma said, “As a political representative we all have ample space for improving ourselves and that applies to me too.”
She also asserted that the state government has been working tirelessly for the people of our state which appreciates this government under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
On being asked about her future strategy, Agatha Sangma said, “I plan to continue to serve the people of my state in every way that I can.”
–IANS