I was offered Defence Ministry: Sangma

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Agencies

Posted online: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 06:18:03
Updated: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 06:39:25

Shillong, March 12: Amidst speculations that the Congress high command was desperate to cling to power in Meghalaya, NCP veteran Purno Agitok Sangma on Wednesday claimed that he was offered the post of the Defence Minister in the Union Cabinet.

“Yes, a man called me up and offered to give me the post of Defence Minister,” Sangma said in Shillong when asked if it was true that the AICC had been making overtures to him to allow NCP to join the Congress-led government in Meghalaya.

“But I said nothing short of the post of Prime Minister will do,” Sangma said with a hearty laugh.

He, however, refused to name the person who called him up and from where.

“A man who sacrificed everything to uphold the dignity of India can never be bought by any means,” the former Lok Sabha Speaker, who was instrumental in uniting all regional parties in the state after the elections under the banner of the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA), said.

Sangma, who won the Tura assembly seat and returned to state politics as a member of the Assembly for the second time on Tuesday, reiterated that the MPA would stay united “rock solid” and would soon form a stable government.

In 1988, Sangma returned to Meghalaya politics as the chief minister of the Congress-led coalition government, but two years later his government was toppled.

This time, Sangma said, he had returned to state politics with a pledge to ensure its political and economic development.

“I am here to stay. There is no going back to New Delhi except on trips. I have done a lot at the national level and now I want to dedicate myself for the welfare of my state,” he said.

Sangma, who was elected nine time from Tura Parliamentary constituency, quit from Lok Sabha on Monday.

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Purno Sangma, a man with integrity by Friend of NE on 13 Mar 2008

Purno Agitok Sangma, a man with integrity. I admire Sangma for his integrity and fierce patriotism. There are very very few politicians in our country have such integrity and patriotism. He is one of the icons of NE India and India in general. I am sure, MPA will form the govt in Meghalaya soon and defeat the unconstitutional Congress govt.

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