PA Sangma quits NCP to contest President poll

Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, who is planning to contest the Presidential election, resigned from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday. Announcing Sangma's resignation Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy said that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would meet at 6 pm on Wednesday at LK Advani's residence to decide on the president election.

In his resignation letter Sangma wrote: "The Tribal Forum of India was pleased to project me as the candidate for election to the office of President of India. Honourable Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalitha have also extended their support for my candidature. I have also received promises of support from senior leaders from non-Congress parties including from leaders in the National Democratic Alliance."
"However, NCP of which I am a member has not found it possible to endorse my candidature. I have been a founder member of the party. I believe that I have also worked hard for building up the base of the party in several parts of India. The disinclination of NCP to endorse my candidature amounts to a denial of the aspirations of the tribals of the country," he wrote in the letter.
The NCP had warned the former Lok Sabha Speaker Sangma that he could face strict action for his insistence on contesting the Presidential poll.
Sangma's candidature has been endorsed by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jaylalithaa and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the July 19 election.